Joomla! 3 installation freezes at creating database table

Question

I am trying to install Joomla! 3.2.1 on my system but the installation freezes half way through. I've downloaded and installed the Wamp Server 2.4 and wanted to locally install Joomla! 3.2.1, but the installation freezes and doesn't finish.

It stops short of finishing the installation during the "creating database tables" task: it just stays on this bit seemingly forever.

Increasing the max execution time in php.ini and restarting the wamp didn't help.

My Wamp 2.4 uses:

• MySQL 5.6.12
• php 5.4.16
• Apache 2.4.4

How can I get the installer to go past this point?

Shooin

Answer 1

This problem occurring most usually at Joomla 3.x. To solve this go to wamp\www\Your joomla folder\installation\sql\mysql and open Joomla.sql file find the term

"ENGINE=InnoDB"

and replace ALL with

"ENGINE=MyIsam"

MyIsam is more supported and compatible with Joomla.

Do also the same with (sample_data.sql) file, if it's quickstart setup.

Shooin

Is it possible that Joomla is that dumb? – Hydrastine

Thanks, i face exact prob, now got solution. i would like to what is actual root for this problem, in the sense, if we remove innodb, then we could not able tow create any relationship for the mention table. – Oxy

Changing timeout is a better solution – Septimal

@Universe, the same with this approach ;-) – Septimal

@Chiz as you think but your comment doesn't add any help. Post a answer if you think different than me, and leave the people choose what fit on their problem – Shooin

@Universe, I tried this approach - doesn't work. I tried approach below - it works. This is my help. – Septimal

@Chiz that you say doesn't make "Changing timeout" a better solution... (as you comment in the beginning). But is an alternative, If my approach doesn't work with you. But are you sure that you apply the second approach having reset first the changes from my approach? – Shooin

@Shooin Is there a way without changing the ENGINE. Because we use relationships in our database model and we want to use INNODB engine in our custom component... – Eskil

@Eskil as far as I know, not. You should consider change your model, if you can – Shooin

@Shooin Thanks... I used your solution and after installing I changed back all joomla tables back to INNODB.... It works great so far... – Eskil

@Eskil nice to hear that! – Shooin

@Eskil Would have been a lot simpler to just increase the timeout in PHP than all that engine changing – Carbone

Answer 2

The problem is that PHP has timed out. By default WAMP comes with the php variable max_execution_time = 30

Look at your php error log and it should make this error fairly obvious.

So edit your php.ini file, using the wampmanager menu system

wampmanager -> PHP -> php.ini

Find the parameter

max_execution_time = 30

And change it to

max_execution_time = 200

Then restart Apache, so it see's these changes.

Once the install has completed go back and change it back to a value no more than 60.

Carbone

tnx that worked for me ;) (you must restart the Apache after every change...) – Rodd

yep this one is better. on xampp chaing max_execution_time to 200 solved the issue. – Skulk

Worked for me too. Guyz, this seems a better option, 'cause you don't have to change anything from the default Joomla! Installation. – Schleswigholstein

The crucial part of that answer is to stop and restart your Apache! Otherwise it wont work! At least that is what happened to me – Kenward

it is really a better solution because it is not forcing to use MyIsam, Thanks :) – Mendez

Answer 3

Most of user's are facing This problem when installing Joomla 3.x. I have also faced this problem. Then i found the solution to do some configuration changes in my php.ini file and joomla's mysql file. i did following changes :

in php.ini file

Output_Buffering=Off 
Display_Errors=Off 
and in wamp\www\Your joomla folder\installation\sql\mysql\Joomla.sql
replaced all the occurence of "ENGINE=InnoDB" with "ENGINE=MyIsam" 

Now my joomla demo site has been working fine

Hards

maybe the changes of Output_Buffering=Off and Display_Errors=Off are not necessary.. – Shooin

Answer 4

In case changing max_execute_time or replacing InnoDB didn't work for you, try to install it in different browser like Opera. Worked for me!!

Staggers

Answer 5

I implemented the following changes:

"ENGINE=InnoDB"

and replace ALL with

"ENGINE=MyIsam"

and then I increased the execution time in php.ini file to 200, as pointed in earlier answers.

max_execution_time = 30

And change it to

max_execution_time = 200

Further, in php.ini file

Output_Buffering=Off 
Display_Errors=Off

This did the job!

Flippant

maybe the changes of Output_Buffering=Off, Display_Errors=Off and max_execution_time are not necessary.. – Shooin

any idea if i try to do the changes in a hosted server, where to change the php.ini file ? – Kelm

Answer 6

I too faced the same issue of hanging of the installation of joomla 3.4.5 on my windows machine.

OS: Win 8.1 x64
XAMPP v3.2.1
Joomla: 3.4.5

I tried to perform the same 5-6 times. Then, after googling a lot came to conclusion that it can be resolved just my modifying 2 parameters in the php.ini config file usually located inside the

<XAMPP_INSTALL_DIR>/php/php.ini

memory_limit = 512M
max_execution_time = 200

It worked. So, there is no need to modify the InnoDB engine to MyIsam. Base installation works well. Just the issue with our default settings of the php configuration.

Sweetscented