Install WAMP on Windows Server 2022 | Best Setup

This tutorial will guide you through the process of installing WAMP on Windows Server 2022. WAMP stands for Windows, Apache, Mysql, and PHP. It is designed to be easily downloadable and configured, offering a user-friendly interface to control individual software components.

The WAMP server provides a valuable option for developers: the ability to switch between multiple installed versions of Apache, PHP, and MySQL. This is a significant advantage, providing greater flexibility during development compared to some alternatives like XAMPP, which lacks this specific version-switching functionality.

You can now proceed to the guide steps below on the Orcacore website to set up a WAMP server on your Windows Server 2022.

Steps To Install and Configure WAMP on Windows Server 2022

To install the WAMP server on your Windows Server, follow the steps below.

1. Download WAMP Server

First, you need to visit the WAPM Server Downloads page and download the correct version for your system architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).

You will see a window where you must click on “you can download it directly” as shown below.

2. Install WAMP on Windows Server 2022

Once your download is completed, double-click the downloaded file. Then select the language you want and click Ok.

In the next step, you must check “I accept the agreement” and click Next.

Next, read the important information and click Next.

Now you need to specify the location where you want the WAMP to be installed on Windows Server 2022 and click Next.

At this point, you must select the latest components and click Next.

In the next step, you need to specify the folder of the Wamp start menu. Then click Next.

Now select the Install button to install the WAMPSERVER64.

After completing the process, you will be required to select your default browser. The default file browser will be your Internet Explorer, but you can change it to Chrome, Opera, Safari, or Mozilla.
Your default browser must have a corresponding .exe file. For instance, chrome.exe, opera.exe, safari.exe, firefox.exe.

Select no to continue.

Also, you will be required to select your default text editor. Select no to leave it as default.

Read the setup – WampServer information and click Next.

Finally, by clicking on Finish, the installation of Wamp on Windows Server 2022 will be completed.

3. How To Run WAMP Server?

At this point, you double-click on the WampServer shortcut from your desktop to launch Wamp Server.

You must be able to see a WAMP server icon on the computer tray of your Windows PC taskbar. You must see the green icon to know that the WAMP server is working correctly.

The orange icon is an indication of a problem that one of the services, and the red icon indicates an issue with Apache and MySQL.

Conclusion

Installing and configuring WAMP (Windows, Apache, MySQL, PHP) on Windows Server 2022 provides a complete web development environment. With just a few steps, you can set up a local server stack to host and test PHP-based applications. WAMP offers an easy-to-use interface for managing services, making it ideal for both beginners and experienced developers. Once configured, it becomes a powerful platform for developing, testing, or running dynamic websites on a Windows server. Setting up WAMP on Windows Server 2022 is a straightforward process.

Hope you enjoy it. You may also like these articles:

How To Set up XAMPP on Windows Server 2019

Install Nessus Scanner on Windows Server 2019

Activate OpenSSH on Windows Server 2022

Install MariaDB on Windows Server 2022

Alternative Solutions for a Web Development Environment on Windows Server 2022

While WAMP offers a convenient solution, other approaches can provide similar or even enhanced functionality, depending on specific needs. Here are two alternative solutions:

1. Using Docker Containers

Docker allows you to containerize your entire web development environment, ensuring consistency across different machines and simplifying deployment. You can define all the necessary components (Apache, MySQL, PHP, etc.) in a Dockerfile and then build and run the container.

• Explanation: Docker containers provide isolated environments, minimizing conflicts between different software versions and dependencies. This is especially useful when working on multiple projects with different requirements. Moreover, Docker simplifies the deployment process by packaging the entire application and its dependencies into a single container.

• Example Dockerfile:

# Use an official PHP runtime as a parent image
FROM php:7.4-apache

# Set the working directory to /var/www/html
WORKDIR /var/www/html

# Copy the application source code to /var/www/html
COPY . /var/www/html

# Install any needed packages as well as the MySQL extension
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y 
    libfreetype6-dev 
    libjpeg62-turbo-dev 
    libpng-dev 
    zip 
    unzip 
    && docker-php-ext-configure gd --with-freetype --with-jpeg 
    && docker-php-ext-install -j $(nproc) gd 
    && docker-php-ext-install pdo pdo_mysql mysqli

# Expose port 80 and 443
EXPOSE 80
EXPOSE 443

# (Optional) Add a self-signed certificate for HTTPS.  Create a directory
RUN mkdir /etc/apache2/ssl
# Copy certs
COPY ./ssl/apache.crt /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.crt
COPY ./ssl/apache.key /etc/apache2/ssl/apache.key
#Enable HTTPS
RUN a2enmod ssl
RUN sed -i 's/Listen 80/Listen 443/' /etc/apache2/ports.conf
# Setup the virtual host file
COPY ./vhost.conf /etc/apache2/sites-available/000-default.conf
#Restart apache
RUN service apache2 restart

# Start Apache when the container launches
CMD ["apache2-foreground"]

To run this, you will need to build the Dockerfile:

docker build -t my-php-app .

And then run the container:

docker run -d -p 80:80 -p 443:443 my-php-app

2. Using Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL)

WSL allows you to run a Linux distribution directly on Windows, enabling you to leverage Linux-based development tools and environments. You can install a LAMP stack (Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP) within the WSL environment.

• Explanation: WSL provides a more native Linux experience on Windows, allowing you to use familiar command-line tools and package managers. This can be advantageous for developers who prefer a Linux environment but need to work on Windows.

• Example (Installing LAMP on Ubuntu WSL):

  1. Install Ubuntu from the Microsoft Store.
  2. Open Ubuntu and update the package list:

  sudo apt update
  sudo apt upgrade

  3. Install Apache:

  sudo apt install apache2

  4. Install MySQL:

  sudo apt install mysql-server
  sudo mysql_secure_installation #Follow the prompts

  5. Install PHP and necessary modules:

  sudo apt install php libapache2-mod-php php-mysql

  6. Restart Apache:

  sudo systemctl restart apache2

  7. Test PHP: Create a info.php file in /var/www/html with the following content:

  <?php
  phpinfo();
  ?>

  Access it through your browser at localhost/info.php.
  By using these alternative methods, you gain flexibility and control over your development environment on Windows Server 2022, tailored to your specific project needs.