#### 2.3.4.5 Starting the Server for the First Time

 This section gives a general overview of starting the MySQL server. The following sections provide more specific information for starting the MySQL server from the command line or as a Windows service.

 The information here applies primarily if you installed MySQL using the `noinstall` version, or if you wish to configure and test MySQL manually rather than with the MySQL Installer.

 The examples in these sections assume that MySQL is installed under the default location of `C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0`. Adjust the path names shown in the examples if you have MySQL installed in a different location.

 Clients have two options. They can use TCP/IP, or they can use a named pipe if the server supports named-pipe connections.

 MySQL for Windows also supports shared-memory connections if the server is started with the [`shared_memory`](server-system-variables.html#sysvar_shared_memory) system variable enabled. Clients can connect through shared memory by using the [`--protocol=MEMORY`](connection-options.html#option_general_protocol) option.

 For information about which server binary to run, see [Section 2.3.4.3, “Selecting a MySQL Server Type”](windows-select-server.html).

 Testing is best done from a command prompt in a console window (or “DOS window”). In this way you can have the server display status messages in the window where they are easy to see. If something is wrong with your configuration, these messages make it easier for you to identify and fix any problems.

Note

 The database must be initialized before MySQL can be started. For additional information about the initialization process, see [Section 2.10.1, “Initializing the Data Directory”](data-directory-initialization.html).

 To start the server, enter this command:

```
C:\> "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin\mysqld" --console
```

 For a server that includes `InnoDB` support, you should see the messages similar to those following as it starts (the path names and sizes may differ):

```
InnoDB: The first specified datafile c:\ibdata\ibdata1 did not exist:
InnoDB: a new database to be created!
InnoDB: Setting file c:\ibdata\ibdata1 size to 209715200
InnoDB: Database physically writes the file full: wait...
InnoDB: Log file c:\iblogs\ib_logfile0 did not exist: new to be created
InnoDB: Setting log file c:\iblogs\ib_logfile0 size to 31457280
InnoDB: Log file c:\iblogs\ib_logfile1 did not exist: new to be created
InnoDB: Setting log file c:\iblogs\ib_logfile1 size to 31457280
InnoDB: Log file c:\iblogs\ib_logfile2 did not exist: new to be created
InnoDB: Setting log file c:\iblogs\ib_logfile2 size to 31457280
InnoDB: Doublewrite buffer not found: creating new
InnoDB: Doublewrite buffer created
InnoDB: creating foreign key constraint system tables
InnoDB: foreign key constraint system tables created
011024 10:58:25  InnoDB: Started
```

 When the server finishes its startup sequence, you should see something like this, which indicates that the server is ready to service client connections:

```
mysqld: ready for connections
Version: '8.0.28'  socket: ''  port: 3306
```

 The server continues to write to the console any further diagnostic output it produces. You can open a new console window in which to run client programs.

 If you omit the [`--console`](server-options.html#option_mysqld_console) option, the server writes diagnostic output to the error log in the data directory (`C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\data` by default). The error log is the file with the `.err` extension, and may be set using the [`--log-error`](server-options.html#option_mysqld_log-error) option.

Note

 The initial `root` account in the MySQL grant tables has no password. After starting the server, you should set up a password for it using the instructions in [Section 2.10.4, “Securing the Initial MySQL Account”](default-privileges.html).

