mysql configuration stops at "starting server"

Question

I was installing MySQL installer on my windows 8 machine. During the server configuration process, it gets stuck at "starting server" and doesn't move any further.

The log for the same is:

Beginning configuration step: Stopping Server [if necessary]  
Ended configuration step: Stopping Server [if necessary]

Beginning configuration step: Writing configuration file  
Ended configuration step: Writing configuration file

Beginning configuration step: Updating firewall  
Adding firewall rule for MYSQL56 on port 3306.  
Successfully added firewall rule.  
Ended configuration step: Updating firewall

Beginning configuration step: Adjusting Windows service [if     necessary]
Attempting to grant Network Service require filesystem permissions.  
Granted permissions.  
Adding a new service  
New service added  
Ended configuration step: Adjusting Windows service [if necessary]

I have already tried the following:

• Un-installed all the programs that were in any way related to MySQL.
• Deleted the MySQL folder from C:\Program Files.
• Cleared my registry.
• And then re-installed the program, but all in vain.

This post also shows the same problem but the solution provided is not working for me.

Answer 1

I managed to solve this issue by selecting "Do not secure Data folder" option (a third one in the list) during installation. Explained here: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/mysql-installer/en/server-file-permission-options.html . Seems like installer could not get access to it

Answer 2

None of the above solutions worked for me. I finally installed an older version. You can look at the version release history from here. Instead of installing the latest MySQL version 8.0.21.0, I instead installed version 8.0.18.0 from here. It finally worked.

Answer 3

The MySQL developers insist that running the MySQL service Logged On as NETWORK SERVICE IS the proper way to do it and that running it as LOCAL SYSTEM opens security holes. Okay, people, the root of the problem here is that NETWORK SERVICE can't access the locations where the log files are configured to be. I suspect this error occurs when a folder is specified (by clicking Browse) that the NETWORK SERVICE doesn't have access to. In my case, I specified the log files to be written under My Documents in a folder called MySQL Logs. So, (and this can be done while the installer dialog is open, it says the installer is taking a long time, and prompting you to Wait or Cancel,):

I simply granted full control of that folder to the NETWORK SERVICE by right-clicking on the folder, selecting Properties, selecting Security, then clicking Add, then typing in "NETWORK SERVICE". Then I selected NETWORK SERVICE and clicked the checkboxes Allow for Full control and Modify.

Answer 4

I made this problem disappear by upgrading from 5.7 to 8.0.

Specifically I:

• Uninstalled MySQL 5.7 (through the "MySQL Notifier").
• Downloaded and ran mysql-installer-web-community-8.0.14.0.msi from https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/windows/installer/8.0.html

Answer 5

My issue was the special character in the password.

What I did to resolve being stuck at the Attempting to Start Server:
1. Use the installer to uninstall the previous version/installation
2. Validate and delete the existing MySQL Folders (DATA and App)
3. Re-install using the installer
4. Use a strong lengthy password with no special character password

Answer 6

I faced the same problem. Completely removing MySql from my PC and then installing it from scratch fixed my problem.

How to remove MySql Completely:

1. Run Command Prompt as Administrator and execute the following command to stop and remove MySQL service.

   Net stop MySQL
   Sc delete MySQL
   

2. Go to Control Panel >> Programs >> Programs and Features, select MySQL Server 5.x and click Uninstall. (If you can uninstall MySQL from Control Panel)

3. Open Windows Explorer and go to Organize > Folder and search options, Select the “View” tab and under “Hidden files and Folders” choose “Show hidden files and folders”. Now explore the following locations and delete following folders.

   • C:\Program Files\MySQL
   • C:\Program Files (x86)\MySQL
   • C:\ProgramData\MySQL

   And if this exists, delete it too:

   C:\Users\[User-Name]\AppData\Roaming\MySQL
   

4. Restart your PC and reinstall MySQL. That’s all!

Answer 7

Adding this for others.

I had install set up to configure windows service.

Looking in Windows Event Viewer => Windows Logs => Application I found:

C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.6\bin\mysqld.exe: Error while setting value '0.0' to 'lower_case_table_names'

Checking the init file in C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.6\my.ini

I found:

# Specifies the on how table names are stored in the metadata.
# If set to 0, will throw an error on case-insensitive operative systems
# If set to 1, table names are stored in lowercase on disk and comparisons are not case sensitive.
# If set to 2, table names are stored as given but compared in lowercase.
# This option also applies to database names and table aliases.
lower_case_table_names=0.0

I changed the value to 0, but on reinstall it reappeared as 0.0 so during the install and whilst the installation hanged at 'Starting Server' I edited the my.ini file, saved it, opened the services viewer and manually started the service MySql56. The installation then completed

Answer 8

I had the same problem where it changed from Local System Account to Network Service, I changed it in the services back to Local System Account. This however did not work. I came across another forum that suggested having spaces in the services name was causing the problem so I took out the spaces and put underscores and sure enough it worked!

Change spaces to underscores!

Answer 9

I found another solution: I was using a complex password with special characters in it. When I switch to using only alphanumeric characters in the password, it installed with no issues.

Answer 10

The installer has another issue that I discovered today.

I had the same issue of the installer hanging on "Starting Server". However, after looking at the windows Event Viewer under Windows Logs -> Application, I discovered the error

"Too many arguments (first extra is 'Something').For more information, see Help and Support Center at http://www.mysql.com.".

The issue is that the installer cannot handle spaces in the windows service name (the name I used was Something MySQL). Simply change the name to one without spaces.

Answer 11

This seems to be a chronic issue with MySQL Installer even now (v1.4.17.0). No matter what, every time I (re-)configure an instance on Windows 7 Pro or Server (2008 R2) it hangs at this point.

Simplest fix is:

1. When the installer hangs, open Windows Services and locate your mySQL service instance(s).
2. Double-click to open the/an instance and set Log on as: to Local System account and check Allow service to interact with desktop.
3. Optionally but preferably set the Recovery options to allow the service to resume after a problem.
4. Ensure that Startup type is set to Automatic (or whatever your preference is).
5. Click Apply and then click Start (or click OK and then start the service).
6. Return to the MySQL Installer and close any open warning about waiting for the process to complete and the process should continue.
7. Repeat as required for each MySQL Server instance.

Note: The installer seems to not enable the firewall exception that you may have selected when MySQL Server was first configured, so you may have to reconfigure again to open the firewall.

Side note: All-in-all, I'd have to say that after only two days of using the MySQL ecosystem, I'm less than impressed by how buggy things are. I would estimate that I had to set up two server interfaces about 6 times before everything worked as advertised. Workbench crashed on me 5+ times in the first day alone and I've had to traipse through any number of forums finding answers to stuff like this. Be prepared to do the same.

Answer 12

I've figured this one out. Mine was getting stuck at "Starting Server" too and Event Viewer had this -

The description for Event ID 100 from source MySQL cannot be found. Either the component that raises this event is not installed on your local computer or the installation is corrupted. You can install or repair the component on the local computer.    
If the event originated on another computer, the display information had to be saved with the event.    
The following information was included with the event:     
innobase_buffer_pool_size can't be over 4GB on 32-bit systems

So I figured out the problem was trying to start the 32-bit version of MySQL that comes bundled in with the installer on a 64-bit machine could have been the problem. Although, MySQL states it will install 64-bit of the database.

What I did was downloaded a 64-bit zipped version and unpackaged it into a temporary location. I re-ran the installer and let it install mysql. I replaced the contents of that with the other version from the temporary location without stopping the installer. Then I continued with configuration steps of the installer. It managed to start the service.

Here's full trace of the log.

Beginning configuration step: Stopping Server [if necessary]
Ended configuration step: Stopping Server [if necessary]

Beginning configuration step: Writing configuration file
Ended configuration step: Writing configuration file

Beginning configuration step: Updating firewall
Adding firewall rule for MySQL56 on port 3306.
Successfully added firewall rule.
Ended configuration step: Updating firewall

Beginning configuration step: Adjusting Windows service [if necessary]
Attempting to grant Network Service require filesystem permissions.
Granted permissions.
Adding new service
New service added
Ended configuration step: Adjusting Windows service [if necessary]

Beginning configuration step: Starting Server
Starting MySQL as a service
Ended configuration step: Starting Server

Beginning configuration step: Applying security settings
Attempting to update security settings.
Updated security settings.
Ended configuration step: Applying security settings

Beginning configuration step: Creating user accounts
Attempting to Add New MySQL Users
Added New Users.
Ended configuration step: Creating user accounts

Beginning configuration step: Updating Start Menu Link
Attempting to verify command-line client shortcut.
Verified command-line client shortcut.
Verified command-line client shortcut.
Ended configuration step: Updating Start Menu Link

Answer 13

Here is what I did:

1. Installed it with mysql-installer-web-community-5.6.23.0.msi
2. For my purposes I selected "Custom" install with MySQL servers 5.6.22 - X64 and MySQL Connectors -> Connector ODBC/5.3.4 - 64
3. Next -> Execute -(ready to configure) -> Next
4. Config type: Development machine, all defaults (TCP/IP, Port: 3306, Open firewall)
5. Typed in MySQL Root Password
6. MySQL user Accounts -> Add user (username, password, OK) -> Next
7. Configure MySQL Server as a Windows Service (CHECKED)
8. Windows Service Name: MySQL56 (default)
9. Start the MySQL Serve at System Startup
10. THIS IS CRUCIAL (BUG IS HERE): Run Service as... Standard System Account (CHECKED - but it will be disregarded and that is BUG)
11. Next -> Execute, Installation hangs on Starting server, so wait for a while to time out (or don't, your choice). When Dialog (might be covered with other windows) popup with message "Configuration of MySQL Server is taking longer than expected..., here click OK (so to wait longer)
12. Meanwhile go to Start -> Control Panel -> Administrative Tools -> Services -> find MySQL56, right click on it -> Properties -> select Log On Tab AND HERE IS BUG -> Although Local System Account was selected, Somehow "This account: Network Service (with some password) was selected -> Select Log on as: Local System Account, Allow service to interact with desktop -> Apply -> Go back on general tab
13. On general tab click on "Start" button to start service and here it is! Service is started! Click on OK to close MySQL56 Properties dialog. Close Services dialog. Close Administrative tools. Close control panel.
14. And by that time (while you were closing those dialogs) when you look at MySQl Installer Dialog all steps are finished and checked: Starting Server, Applying security... Creating user accounts.. Updating Start menu link
15. Confirm with Finish -> Next -> Finish

That's it, happy MySQL-ing :)