I am still a novice at this.
So, when you are doing the Configuring Mysql part you create a data base
create database moodledb;
Then create a user for Moodle
Create user 'moodle_user'@'localhost identified by 'password1';
If your Mysql is on a seperate machine from moodle its self do you change the localhost part to the IP of the machine hosting Moodle?
(Windows08 server, IIS7)
You do not necessarily have to create a database, not with Windows - but given that you are using a separate machine, then yes it is probably a better strategy. As such, you cannot use "localhost" because the other machine is not local to IIS so you are definitely on the right track.
BTW, the fact you are a novice and giving this a go shows a boldness in your approach, good luck and I really hope you get it working like you want it to. I also hope you are documenting every step, because that is the sort of information a lot of people can use - if you care to share your experience via Moodle Docs.
