MySQL does not install on Windows

MySQL does not install on Windows.  Can you believe it?  I would have thought this is a common and reasonable combination of tools.  But NOPE!

I have tried Windows Server 2008, Windows 2012, MySQL 5.1 and MySQL 5.5 and all combinations fail.

Finally, a co-worker informed me that this has been a problem for many years.  Apparently it's related to the fact that the Windows directory name "Program Files" had recently added an "(x86)" at the end, so, "C:\Program Files (x86)\".  Apparently the brace symbol in the directory name is responsible for mucking everything up.  When the installer finishes and it goes to start the service for you, it says:

"Windows could not start the MySQL service on Local Computer.  Error: 1053: The service did not respond to the start or control request in a timely fashion."

Unfortunately, the installer did not give me the option of choosing a different directory.  Further, I checked and one time I managed to get the installer to go into "C:\Program Files" (without the (x86)) and it STILL failed.  My colleague suggested it might be possible to change the path by directly editing the registry.

However, at this point, I was running out of time.  I gave up on Windows and got myself a RedHat Linux server instead. It is working. 

My sincerest sympathy to anyone who does not have this freedom and is forced to get MySQL installed on Windows.  If I ever find a set of steps that explains how to fix this, I'll post the link here.

I just wish I had known about this "Known Issue"  BEFORE I spent a day of my life trying to get it to work.  :(