How To Install Wordpress On 1and1 Web Host
When I first started blogging I used Typepad as my blogging platform, for couple of reasons, one is that I don’t have to worry about finding a web host and second there is nothing to install. You can be up and running in just minutes. If you hate downloading, configuring, installing, then I suggest you visit typepad and start blogging. Here is the link to typepad:
Now, if you don’t mind downloading, configuring, installing, and following simple directions, come on board and lets get started, I will try to make it as simple as it could get.
This guide is to install wordpress on 1and1 web hosting account, which means that there are some specific information’s pertaining to 1and1 control panel. If you are using any other web host you can still follow these steps and check the help section of your web host for specific information’s.
If you don’t have a web hosting account I suggest you sign up with 1and1. I personally have been with 1and1 since 2003 and I highly recommend using them as your host. I have four websites and five blogs hosted on their servers, and I have no complains what so ever about there services. Here is the link to 1and1 web hosting.
Your account at 1and1 comes with a Wordpress blog installed, but is extremely limited in features and options. If you want full options and features of Wordpress, I suggest you to install a latest version of Wordpress. Here is the Wordpress Installation guide, have fun:
Download FTP Client: Your account at 1and1, depending on your plan that you purchased, will allow you to download some free software’s. One of that is Wise-FTP that you can download and install on your computer. Here are the steps to download FTP client:
1.Log in to your account
2.Go to your control panel
3.Scroll down to “software & download and click on it”
4.On the next page click on downloads.
5.Click on the FTP client available to download
6.Once downloaded run it to install on your computer.
1and1 provides this software with some plans, if your plan does not include FTP client download, you can still find FTP programs free by visiting download.com and typing FTP in the search bar. Recommended FTP programs are:
Set up FTP Account: You have to setup your FTP account through control panel in 1and 1 in order for you to enter these information in your FTP client Program. Lets get started.
1.Log in to your 1and1 account
2.Go to your control panel
3.In Basic Settings, click on FTP Account.
4.On the next page click on new user
5.On the next page set a password, this can be any password that’s easy to remember
6.Click OK, you are done setting up FTP account
Connect Using FTP Account: This is the step where you will use the information from previous step to connect your computer to your blog’s root directory, where you will be installing Wordpress later. Lets get started:
1.Run you FTP software, and click on connect.
2.Click on new site or new connection
3.Enter a profile name for your site, may be your blog name
4.Enter host name, this is your domain name at 1and1, example: yourdomain.com
5.Enter username and password from the previous step.
6.Click connect. That’s it you are now connected to your account.
Setup MySQL: MySQL database is where all your contents are going to be stored. In order for your blog to work you have to setup MySQL database for each blog that you are planing to have in your account. Here are the steps to create MySQL database:
1.Login to your 1and1 account
2.Go to control panel
3.Scorll down to Webspace & Access
4.Click on MySQL Administration
5.On the next page click on New Database
6.On the next page enter a description, (I use my blog name as description).
7.Enter a new password in the space provide and click setup
8.Well you just created a MySQL database for your blog.
Download Wordpress & Unzip: Download and unzip Word press, follow these instructions:
1.Create a new folder on your computer, If you like to create multiple blogs make sure you create a new folder for each blog, so you can keep things organized. It is very important to have this folder name same as your blog name. If you blog is called myblog then create a folder called myblog.
2.Click here to download word press
3.After the download is complete unzip the wordpress package.
4.To unzip you just right click the wordpress that you just downloaded and click extract all and follow the directions.
Edit wp-config.php: After you unzip wordpress package follow these steps to edit wp-config.php file. This is the most important part of Wordpress Installation. If you make a mistake here your wordpress blog will not work.
1.Go to wordpress folder you just unziped
2.Right click on the file wp-config.php and click on rename
3.In place of php type txt, so now you have wp-config.txt
4.Right click on wp-config.txt and click on open with notepad or wordpad
5.Once the file is open, scroll down until you see, define(’DB_NAME’, ‘xxxxxxxx’);
6.Now go to your MySQL database that you created back in Setup MySQL step
7.Enter your database name in place of xxxxxxx, make sure you don’t delete any thing else or your blog will get error message.
8.Now enter user name from MySQL where it says define(’DB_USER’, ‘xxxxxx’);
9.Enter the password from MySQL where it says define(’DB_PASSWORD’, ‘xxxxx’);
10.Enter the host from MySQL where it says define(’DB_HOST’, ‘xxxxxxxxx’);
11.Save wp-config.txt
12.Go back to the list in your folder and right click wp-config.txt and click rename
13.This time rename it back to wp-config.php.
Note: if you don’t see file extension such as .php or .txt, click on tools>folder option>view and uncheck where it says hide extensions for known files.
Upload Wordpress: Follow these steps to upload wordpress to your server:
1.Before you upload, login to your account at 1and1
2.In you control panel click on Manage Domains
3.Click on your blogs domain name
4.On the next page click on destination edit
5.Select destination as Home Directory
6.Under Home directory select create new directory
7.In the empty box type in new directory name, I use my blog name as the new directory name.
8.It takes about 10 minutes for this new directory to setup
9.Now fire up your ftp client software
10.Connect to the server, if you have not setup connection please check the instructions above.
11.Once connected you will see two sides on the screen, one is local system those are the files on your computer, on the second side you will see remote system, those are the files on your server.
12.Find the new directory that you just created on the right side or remote system side
13.Then locate the wordpress folder you unzipped in previous steps.
14.It makes easier if your new directory name and the wordpress folder names are same
15.Now just click on upload folder. It takes time to complete the upload depending on your connection speed.
Install Wordpress: In order to install wordpress you type in yourdomain.com/wp-admin/install.php and follow the directions on the screen. Please remember the auto generated password, as you will need this to log in later. Once installed you need to type in yourdomain.com/wp-admin/index.php to log in to your blogs admin area. Make sure you change your password to something you remember later.
Congratulations you are done. If you have any question or need further help please leave a comment below and I will try to help you in any way I can.