Click this link to open a new window:
https://wordpress.org/download/
When the new window opens click on the button that says “Download WordPress X.X.X” The “x’s” represents the version number. WordPress is in ongoing development. This means this number will change over time.
Please NOTE where you saved the file because you will need it later. I do recommend you create and put it in a specific folder you can use to house any files for developing your website later. This includes image assets, plugins, and other files related to your website. That way everything is in one place. As you continue to develop your website you may find it easier to create folders within that folder to organize everything. However, for our purposes create one folder to put the WordPress Zip file into.
Navigate to the folder that you saved the zip file into. At this time, you will right-click the WordPress folder and unzip it into a folder of the same name. You can tell the archive software you are using to do this or move the files into a folder later if a bunch of things extract at once.
Please Note: I recommend 7 zip which is FREE software that you can use. It does not add any adware, spyware, bloatware, or viruses to your computer. It is what you will see in my following screenshots. https://www.7-zip.org/download.html
Right-click the zip file then either click Extract the files which will create a new folder with the zip folder name or click on 7zip.
I use the extract to on my 7Zip because sometimes I save the original zip file in the wrong place. Sometimes when you say Extract All it does not always extract into a folder. So if there a lot of files and you accidentally extract all into a folder that has a lot of random files in it too it can be a major mess.
Once the extraction completes a new file folder is created with the same name as the zip file. If your folder icons are hard to read you can note the type in your detail view which I highlighted in this screenshot. Please double click the folder to see what is inside.
It is the main WordPress folder. Please double click this folder to see what is inside.
This is what the basic file structure of WordPress looks like.
The next steps will need you to log into your web hosting account. If you do not have a hosting account I recommend HostWinds. Most hosting accounts have some kind of control panel and a vast majority are using CPanel or a variation of CPanel. My screenshots will be from my screen panel. The first area you will want to visit on your control panel is the section often labeled “Files” or “File Management”
In this section, you will see an icon called FTP Accounts.
Click on FTP Accounts.
The information you see is the default that the Control Panel created. I suggest you change webmaster or admin to your first name or your first and last name as all one word. If you have one domain then your username will be the name you put in log in @ your domain. In my case, because I already have an established ftp account it is beth@rosemaryep.sg-host.com.
Next, you will need a password. I highly recommend you use the password generator. When you click that button it will show the generator. There is an Advanced options link which will open a new window that allows making your password even longer. I recommend making it up 12-18 characters with both letters and symbols and the letters should be both capital and small letters. I prefer to use 18 character long passwords because they are harder to guess. Once you complete the advanced options click generate password until you get one that looks suitably complicated. Use your mouse to highlight the password and right click and click copy or use the buttons control-C.
At this time open up NotePad. Type the words ftp.yourdomain.com (yourdomain equals the actual domain you have. If you do not have a domain yet purchase one from your hosting or from GoDaddy or another domain provider.) On the next line type your login name and on the next line paste your password. You can do that by right-clicking and hitting paste or control-P.
So I would do:
ftp.rosemaryep.sg-host.com
beth@rosemaryep.sg-host.com
randompassword
Once you have pasted the password to notepad then go back to the browser to click the checkmark I have saved this password somewhere then click on the Use Password button.
In the directory section, I recommend if you are the superuser of your hosting account to make sure you clear out the part you can edit. This way if you make subdomains and add add-on domains at a later date you will have access to everything on your server. If you are working with someone who is doing work on a particular website or subdomain I recommend that you only give them access to the folder with that website. ALWAYS give people you hire their own login to everything if it is possible. It is much more secure and if you part ways all you have to do is change their password or remove them. In the quota section, make sure the unlimited option is chosen. Now click Create FTP Account.
Next you will want to return to the main control panel screen. This is usually a home button on the upper right. Or sometimes there is a link at the bottom of the section your are to return the the control panel.
The next section you want to visit at this time is Databases:
I generally recommend users new to creating databases to use the Database Wizard, however not all control panels provide that ability so I will show you the long way just in case. So click on My SQL Databases to open up that section.
For security reasons, I have removed the prefix that my hosting adds to the databases. Not all hosts do that. But if yours does make sure you write that prefix down. So when naming a database make sure the name is descriptive. If you do not have a prefix you should be able to use underscores. When I create databases I usually put wp_companyname. CompanyName is the name of the company or website we are creating a WordPress site for. After you type a descriptive name click on Create Database. Click GO BACK to return to the database page.
Please Note: Some hosting companies do have WordPress installers that do the installation for you so you do not have to do these steps but keep in mind if you do a lot of these WordPress sites with different domains and subdomains you will NOT know which database goes with which WordPress site.
So remember that Notepad from Step 3 where you added your FTP information? Hit enter a couple of lines below that and type database credentials then hit enter and type the database name. Return to the browser and scroll down the page until you see the MySQL Users section.
What I suggest next is to make the username of the user the same as the database name. Its pretty standard practice. You are welcome to make that name different if you wish. Just like when we set up the FTP user use the password generator to create a secure password. Once you have that password add the username and password to your notepad. Next click on Create User. Click GO BACK to return to the Database page. Scroll down to Add User to Database.
Find both your Database name and database user and then click Add.
You will get a screen that says Manage User Privileges and then this section will be below it. Click the checkmark that says ALL PRIVILEGES and then click Make Changes. The control panel will tell you if it is successful. Then click Go Back.
So you are done with your control panel for now. In this step I want you to download two more programs.
Program 1: FileZilla
This is the program I use for all my FTP needs. I actually use the PRO version. However, You just need the FREE version.
Program 2: Notepad++
Although opening files to edit in Notepad works Notepad ++ tends to make sure that edited files are formatted so you can actually find the information to edit it.
Please download these two programs and install them.
Open NotePad++:
It should look a lot like this.
Click on File then Open. Browse to where we unzipped the WordPress files in earlier steps. Go all the way inside the just plain WordPress Folder where it lists all the files.
Open wp-config-sample.php. Then click File once again and click Save As…
Rename the file from wp-config-sample.php to wp-config.php in the file name editing box. The reason we do this is because if you make a mistake you can always delete the file and start over because you have the sample config file. After you change the name of the file in the box click on Save.
Next look for the section that says MySQL settings.
Take a look at my screenshot I have arrows pointing to where you make the change. Please make sure your data replaces all the information between the ‘ and the ‘. WARNING! Do NOT accidentally delete the ‘ or anything else around them. If you do at later steps WordPress may not be able to connect to your database.
Scroll down to the next section of the wp-config file which is the Authentication Unique Keys and Salts.
The first arrow points to the name of the section so you can find it. The second arrow points to the URL https://api.wordpress.org/secret-key/1.1/salt/
After you go to this URL you will see a screen like this one:
You are welcome to use the first secret keys and salts that come up but I tend to refresh a few times then use that one. They are randomly generated each time. Once you have one you like, please highlight the entire section from the first define to the very last semi-colon.
You can then either right-click then click on copy. The alternative would be to hit Control-C. Then please go back to the wp-config file in Notepad++.
Highlight the defined sections as shown in the file on the screenshot and then right-click and click paste or hit control-P.
It should look similar to the screenshot above. Make sure the code before the first define and after the last semi-colon looks the same as my example. Then click the icon indicated by the red arrow to save the wp-config.php file.
Please open up FileZilla Now.
Congratulations you installed WordPress!
