How to Install Bolt CMS on Windows 11

Bolt CMS is a modern content management system that is easy to use and perfect for creating websites and blogs. In this tutorial, we will show you how to install Bolt CMS on Windows 11.

Prerequisites

  • A functional Windows 11 computer
  • A web browser (preferably Chrome or Firefox)
  • A local web server (e.g. XAMPP)
  • PHP 7.2 or higher
  • Composer

Step 1: Download Bolt CMS

The first step is to download the latest version of Bolt CMS from the official website https://boltcms.io/. Once you have downloaded the zip file, extract it to the htdocs folder of your local web server.

Step 2: Install Composer

Next, install Composer if you have not already done so. Composer is a dependency manager for PHP and will be used to install the necessary PHP libraries needed for Bolt CMS. You can download Composer from https://getcomposer.org/download/.

After downloading, install Composer by running the installer and follow the prompts.

Step 3: Install Composer Dependencies

Once Composer is installed, open a terminal window and navigate to the root directory where you have extracted Bolt CMS. Run the following command to install the dependencies.

composer install

This may take a while to complete depending on your internet speed.

Step 4: Configure the Database

Bolt CMS uses a MySQL database to store content and configuration. If you do not have MySQL installed, you can download it from https://dev.mysql.com/downloads/. Then, create a database for Bolt CMS to use.

Next, rename the .env.dist file in the root directory to .env and edit the database configuration values to match your MySQL database.

DATABASE_DRIVER=pdo_mysql
DATABASE_HOST=127.0.0.1
DATABASE_PORT=3306
DATABASE_USER=root
DATABASE_PASSWORD=
DATABASE_NAME=my_database

Step 5: Run the Installation Wizard

Navigate to http://localhost/bolt/public/ in your web browser to run the Bolt CMS installation wizard. Follow the prompts, to complete the installation process.

After that, you can start creating your website by logging in to the Bolt CMS dashboard.

Congratulations! You have successfully installed Bolt CMS on your Windows 11 computer.