Can someone guide me through the installation process for Moodle on Windows 7? I have been trying different avenues, but keep running up against dead ends (and, apparently, installing things I don't need).
I am an instructor trying to set up an online course using the Moodle LMS. I am not a programmer, however, so there's a lot of jargon involved that I'm unfamiliar with. E.g. Configure PHP (as the first step to installing Moodle): how do I do this?
Any assistance will be appreciated.
Patricia.
Hello Patricia,
Have you checked the Installation documentation pages?
https://docs.moodle.org/27/en/Installation
To start correctly, you should please provide more info regarding the objective you have, that is, will you be developing a course on your computer or will this installation be online (if so, will it be a shared account, a virtual private server, other?).
It would also help to know what have you actually done (i.e. the method followed) and the specific issues (error messages, etc.) that you have had.
Hello Patricia Yes, as mentioned above, it would be useful if you can clarify what you are planning to do. If you want to have courses online for students to access on their own computers, from their own homes (for example) then you probably don't want to set up Moodle on your own computer but you probably need a company who will host it online for you. Please see About Moodle FAQ as a first pointer.
Thank you, Mary. In all of my poking around on the site, I failed to find these simple instructions in regular English. I'm afraid, as I'm not versed in programmer-speak, the forums are confusing, too. Thanks for providing this link--not sure how I missed it!
I am planning on creating a course that students can access, via password, from their own computers at home. I'm guessing, from the instructions you provided, that I need to find a Moodle Partner for assistance in setting it up on a server. I'll explore that next.
Best,
Patricia.
Patricia,
You said: "I am planning on creating a course that students can access, via password, from their own computers at home."
You really shouldn't try to use Windows 7 for that. Windows 7 was not designed for hosting websites (especially ones the size of Moodle) on the internet (or even an intranet or extranet). Windows 7 is a desktop operating system, you need a server operating system to host Moodle.
Imagine one teacher trying to teach 100 students in a classroom the size of her living room at home. Not going to be easy is it? You're going to get the same results if you try to run a Moodle site on a Windows 7 computer.
For your students to be able to access your Moodle site from their homes you'll have to configure a web server (IIS or Apache) on that computer. You'll also have to install and configure PHP and a database engine like MySQL or SQL Server. Then you'll have to purchase a domain name and configure the dns to point your domain name to your Moodle computer. While doing that you'll have to setup firewalls and make sure your computer is secure. Finally you'll then be able to install Moodle... But you're a teacher, not a computer engineer! A lot of that probably means nothing to you.
I followed the video word for word; it just does not seem to work for Windows 7. I even went back and downloaded 1.9 and it still did not work following the instructions. Do I have to use Vista? If so we do not have Vista only Windows 7 and 8.1; and we are loading it on a standalone machine [ a machine designated for Moodle]. I am completely lost now...any help would be greatly appreciated.
The video tutorial is for windows, and you have been provided with a link with installation instructions. Follow the instructions, and where you have a problem, note it and ask the experts here. Yes, it takes patience for the newby.
Or do you wish to discuss an easier way, where a third party does it for you? Plenty of posts have already been discussing this recently.
The video is very old (referring to 1.9 and now we have 2.7) although I expect the intstructions are still similar. If it doesn't work then you could try https://bitnami.com/stack/moodle/installer