Installing MySQL on Microsoft Windows Using a  noinstall  ZIP Archive 2.3.4.8 Starting MySQL as a Windows Service Installing the service Note Note On Windows, the recommended way to run MySQL is to install it as a Windows service, so that MySQL starts and stops automatically when Windows starts and stops. A MySQL server installed as a service can also be controlled from the command line using  NET  commands, or with the graphical  Services  utility. Generally, to install MySQL as a Windows service you should be logged in using an account that has administrator rights. The  Services  utility (the Windows  Service Control Manager ) can be found in the Windows Control Panel. To avoid conflicts, it is advisable to close the  Services  utility while performing server installation or removal operations from the command line. Before installing MySQL as a Windows service, you should first stop the current server if it is running by using the following command: If the MySQL  root  user account has a password, you need to invoke  mysqladmin with the  -p  option and supply the password when prompted. This command invokes the MySQL administrative utility  mysqladmin  to connect to the server and tell it to shut down. The command connects as the MySQL  root  user, which is the default administrative account in the MySQL grant system. Users in the MySQL grant system are wholly independent from any operating system users under Windows. Install the server as a service using this command: The service-installation command does not start the server. Instructions for that are given later in this section. To make it easier to invoke MySQL programs, you can add the path name of the MySQL  bin  directory to your Windows system  PATH  environment variable: C:\>  "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin\mysqladmin" -u root shutdown C:\>  "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin\mysqld" --install •On the Windows desktop, right-click the  My Computer  icon, and select  Properties . •Next select the  Advanced  tab from the  System Properties  menu that appears, and click the Environment Variables  button. •Under  System Variables , select  Path , and then click the  Edit  button. The  Edit System Variable dialogue should appear. •Place your cursor at the end of the text appearing in the space marked  Variable Value . (Use the  End key to ensure that your cursor is positioned at the very end of the text in this space.) Then enter the complete path name of your MySQL  bin  directory (for example,  C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.0\bin ), and there should be a semicolon separating this path from any values present 148