We use XAMPP for our local development (on Windows), and I have a habit of messing around with the database and doing bad things by mistake, because it’s only for local development, so it doesn’t matter that much. It’s still annoying when I lock myself out of all my databases though!
While setting up a wordpress site locally for testing, I managed to remove the global privileges of the root user in PHPMyAdmin, thinking it was the user for the wordpress database. I did the usual thing of searching for solutions online, and after trying a few different things involving the command line and MySQL Workbench, I came across this Apache Friends forum thread: http://www.apachefriends.org/f/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=46832. The instructions boil down to the following:
- Open mysql/resetroot.bat in a text editor
- Add “–datadir=c:/xampp/mysql/data” into the “mysql\bin\mysqld.exe…” line (line 18), after “–no-defaults”. Change the datadir parameter to the path to your data directory – the one shown is the default.
- Run resetroot.bat – this should reset the MySQL root password and privileges. You can then login to MySQL/PHPMyAdmin using the username root and no password. For security, you should set a password for the MySQL admin user in the XAMPP Security panel: http://localhost/security/
I just started using XAMPP for windows. When I start PhpMyAdmin it asks me for a username and password that I don’t believe I ever set up.
How do you get around this? I just got this and I’m new, so sorry for the stupid question.
Thanks,
Alex
Hi Alex,
I would try logging in using the username ‘root’ and no password. I believe this is the default setup. If this doesn’t work, you should be able to reset the root password (to nothing) using the steps in this post.
If you go to http://localhost/security/, you should see the security settings and whether the root user has a password set.
I’m no expert myself, so can’t guarantee I’m suggesting the right things, but hope it helps.
Jon
Hi.
Great tutorial. Thank you VERY MUCH!
Sean
Hi Jon,
I installed LAMPP for linux. Same problem is coming “asks me for a username and password that I didn’t set”.
And i tried logging in using the username ‘root’ and no password still I am unable to logging in. It throws following error :-
#2002 Cannot log in to the MySQL server
Connection for controluser as defined in your configuration failed.
If any one can help me !!!!!!!
Hi, I’m afraid my knowledge of this sort of thing is basically limited to what’s in the post – I’m definitely no expert. My only advice would be to try various combinations of ‘root’, ‘admin’ and nothing as the username/password. If nothing works, head for Google! Sorry I can’t be more help.
Hi,
I was playing with users for a new database I created and changed the root pass. Immediately after that it stopped working. I tried everything you said. It still doesn’t work. When I change the dir it keeps aborting the resetting with this error: “too many arguments .”
I don’t know what I’m doing wrong.
I have the portable version but i changed my path accordingly to its location.
Thak you in advance
Hi,
I’m afraid I’ve never come across an error like that, and I haven’t used the portable version of XAMPP, so I don’t think I can be of any help – sorry.
I hope someone out there (or Google) can help/has helped!
Jon
Thanks .
I worked for me !!!
hi,
i tried doing the given procedure, but it seems nothing has worked out for me,
when i login in phpmyadmin using user ‘root’ and no password
it logs in but have no priveleges to create database
under users tab its showing ‘root’ has still has password.
thank you for your great solution, i got my problem solved..
good luck
thank you for your solution…
it’s save my life 🙂
go to the following link if you have locally hosted your website, for resetting the password for mysql and your webhost admin.
http://localhost/security/index.php
there you will get option to reset your mysql password.
—
Thanking you
Mohammad Shahnawaz
oracle’s passion
what ever i did you presented in a paragraph post …. thanks for helping by a little surprise of that what i needed ..
Hi, Do these steps work with new apache releases?
thanks this worked for me!!
Use as user: phpmyadmin