3.11 Upgrading MySQL on Windows

There are two approaches for upgrading MySQL on Windows:

• Using MySQL Installer

• Using the Windows ZIP archive distribution

The approach you select depends on how the existing installation was performed. Before proceeding, review Chapter 3, Upgrading MySQL for additional information on upgrading MySQL that is not specific to Windows.

Note

Whichever approach you choose, always back up your current MySQL installation before performing an upgrade. See Section 9.2, “Database Backup Methods”.

Upgrades between non-GA releases (or from a non-GA release to a GA release) are not supported. Significant development changes take place in non-GA releases and you may encounter compatibility issues or problems starting the server.

Note

MySQL Installer does not support upgrades between Community releases and Commercial releases. If you require this type of upgrade, perform it using the ZIP archive approach.

Upgrading MySQL with MySQL Installer

Performing an upgrade with MySQL Installer is the best approach when the current server installation was performed with it and the upgrade is within the current release series. MySQL Installer does not support upgrades between release series, such as from 5.7 to 8.0, and it does not provide an upgrade indicator to prompt you to upgrade. For instructions on upgrading between release series, see Upgrading MySQL Using the Windows ZIP Distribution.

To perform an upgrade using MySQL Installer:

1. Start MySQL Installer.

2. From the dashboard, click Catalog to download the latest changes to the catalog. The installed server can be upgraded only if the dashboard displays an arrow next to the version number of the server.

3. Click Upgrade. All products that have a newer version now appear in a list.

   Note

   MySQL Installer deselects the server upgrade option for milestone releases (Pre-Release) in the same release series. In addition, it displays a warning to indicate that the upgrade is not supported, identifies the risks of continuing, and provides a summary of the steps to perform an upgrade manually. You can reselect server upgrade and proceed at your own risk.

4. Deselect all but the MySQL server product, unless you intend to upgrade other products at this time, and click Next.

5. Click Execute to start the download. When the download finishes, click Next to begin the upgrade operation.

   Upgrades to MySQL 8.0.16 and higher may show an option to skip the upgrade check and process for system tables. For more information about this option, see Important server upgrade conditions.

6. Configure the server.

Upgrading MySQL Using the Windows ZIP Distribution

To perform an upgrade using the Windows ZIP archive distribution:

1. Download the latest Windows ZIP Archive distribution of MySQL from https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/.

2. If the server is running, stop it. If the server is installed as a service, stop the service with the following command from the command prompt:

   C:\> SC STOP mysqld_service_name

   Alternatively, use NET STOP mysqld_service_name .

   If you are not running the MySQL server as a service, use mysqladmin to stop it. For example, before upgrading from MySQL 5.7 to 8.0, use mysqladmin from MySQL 5.7 as follows:

   C:\> "C:\Program Files\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.7\bin\mysqladmin" -u root shutdown

   Note

   If the MySQL root user account has a password, invoke mysqladmin with the -p option and enter the password when prompted.

3. Extract the ZIP archive. You may either overwrite your existing MySQL installation (usually located at C:\mysql), or install it into a different directory, such as C:\mysql8. Overwriting the existing installation is recommended.

4. Restart the server. For example, use the SC START mysqld_service_name or NET START mysqld_service_name command if you run MySQL as a service, or invoke mysqld directly otherwise.

5. Prior to MySQL 8.0.16, run mysql_upgrade as Administrator to check your tables, attempt to repair them if necessary, and update your grant tables if they have changed so that you can take advantage of any new capabilities. See Section 6.4.5, “mysql_upgrade — Check and Upgrade MySQL Tables”. As of MySQL 8.0.16, this step is not required, as the server performs all tasks previously handled by mysql_upgrade.

6. If you encounter errors, see Section 2.3.5, “Troubleshooting a Microsoft Windows MySQL Server Installation”.