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Originally published 20 June 2023; rewritten and reviewed on 15 October 2026.
A bundled local stack can make WordPress appear on a Windows machine quickly. That is useful for development, but the same successful installation does not establish that a publicly hosted Windows Server is ready for visitors. I would identify the environment before selecting the installation approach.
Choose a stack you can maintain
WordPress needs a compatible PHP runtime, database and web server. A development bundle and a production IIS or Apache setup have different operating procedures. Check the current WordPress requirements and the support information for each component.
Record versions, installation locations and service identities. Avoid installing several overlapping PHP or database stacks without knowing which one the web server uses.
Complete the application setup
Create a dedicated database and appropriately scoped database user. Deploy WordPress files to the intended site directory, configure the connection and complete setup through the chosen local or protected route. Use an administrator identity that is owned and recoverable.
Set filesystem permissions around what the web server actually needs to read or write. Broad write access to the whole installation is not a suitable long-term answer to a failed upload.
Verify the hosting behaviour
Test permalink rewriting, media uploads, scheduled work, outgoing mail and updates. For a public site, configure HTTPS, backups, monitoring and a maintenance process. Do not expose database administration tools or development dashboards merely because they were included in the bundle.
Exercise a restart and a restore using the intended service configuration. A supportable WordPress installation is one whose runtime, data and ownership can be explained after the setup wizard has finished. The installer gets the application started; the operating plan keeps it useful.