How to Run a WordPress Test Site on Your Computer

1. Download a server application. XAMPP and Wamp are the most popular, and both are simple and low maintenance. Install it at the root of your hard drive. The first time you run the program, you will be presented with a menu of services to install. Select 'Apache' and 'MySQL.'
2. Type 'localhost' into your browser, then click the PHPMyAdmin tab. In the 'Create New Database' text field, type 'wordpress' (without the quotes) and click 'Create.'

3. Download the latest version of WordPress from wordpress.org and unzip the file in C:/
/htdocs.
4. Open the WordPress folder and find a file named 'wp-config-sample.php.' Rename this file to 'wp-config.php,' then open it in a text editor like Notepad. Find the 'MySQL settings' area in the text file and replace it with these values:define('DB_NAME', 'wordpress'); // The name of the databasedefine('DB_USER', 'root'); // Your MySQL usernamedefine('DB_PASSWORD', ''); // ...and passworddefine('DB_HOST', 'localhost'); //
5. Point your browser to http://localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php and follow the instructions. The program will ask for non-technical details as it installs.