Here's how you do it:
Step 1: Install WAMP
- Download WAMP to your computer.
- Run through the WAMP installation process.
- In your taskbar, down the by the date in the bottom-right hand corner of your screen, look for the WAMP icon. Click on that icon.
- You should see a popup. Click "Start All Services" and then click "Localhost."
- Hopefully you'll see a white screen with the Wampserver logo in the top-left corner.
Step 2: Download Joomla
- Go to Joomla.org and click on the black button saying "Download Joomla. Get the Latest Version". Find the line saying ".... Full Package" and click on the "ZIP" text.
- The file you download should have a long name such as Joomla_1.5.15-Stable-Full_Package.zip
Step 3: Move Joomla to WAMP
- Click on the WAMP icon in your taskbar again and now click "www directory". This will take you to the folder where WAMP stores its websites.
- Move your Joomla folder from Step 2 into this directory.
- Extract the Joomla folder.
- It will be confusing to keep accessing the website through a folder called /Joomla_1.5.15-Stable-Full_Package/ so rename the folder to something simple such as /joomlatest/
Step 4: Set up our database
- Click on the WAMP icon in your taskbar again and now click "phpMyAdmin". This will take you to the software where Joomla's databases are managed.
- Find the field labelled "Create new database" and enter "joomlatest". Click "Create".
- Hopefully you'll see the name "joomlatest" appear in the left column.
Step 5: Install Joomla
- In your browser, visit this address: http://localhost/joomlatest
- You'll see the the normal Joomla installation screen. Click through screen 1, 2 and 3.
- On screen 4, these will be your settings:
- Host Name: Localhost
- Username: root
- Password: [leave this blank]
- Database: joomlatest
- On screen 5, enter your site name plus a username, email and password.
6: Delete/rename installation directory
- Hopefully you still have your Joomla folder open. If not, click on the WAMP icon in your taskbar again and then on "www directory".
- Rename the installation folder to something such as /installation-back/
- Click "Site" on the final installation screen or visit http://localhost/joomlatest.
You should now have a shiny new installation of Joomla on your P.C. where you can develop your website securely in your local environment.