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 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.

The link MySQL Installer Stuck on "Starting Service" also shows the same problem but the solution provided is not working for me.

Answer 1

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 2

Follow this link. And do remember to delete everything under the C:\program files\mysql folder, including the odbc stuff if you have.

Answer 3

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 4

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 saying 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 5

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 6

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