Can't Start MySQL Server 5.1 As A Service On Windows XP SP3

Question

I've had MySQL running as a service on my Windows XP SP3 development desktop, but I can't start it now.

I'm trying to get Python's MySQLdb module working. When I got a "no module named _mysql" message, I found out that I didn't install the MySQL C header files, so I downloaded the MySQL 5.1 .msi and ran it to add the C header files to my existing installation. I was asked to reconfigure my service, so I entered the appropriate values and asked the service configuration tool to start the service. It failed - "access denied".

My account has admin privileges, so I can't understand how I'm not authorized to start the service.

There are no mapped drives or networks involved; it's my home development desktop.

I tried uninstalling MySQL completely and starting from scratch, but I still have the same problem.

Any thoughts on how I might fix this before I drop back to PostgreSQL? Thank you.

UPDATE:

This appears to be sorted out for me now. I was a bit more careful when going through the install for MySQL 5.1, then I rebooted my machine. The service was alive and well when it came back up.

I must have done something stupid. The installer appeared to do the job.

Answer 1

I can give inputs on this as I worked on MySQL on Linux, not on windows

Though you have admin rights for your systems, there is something like user - 'mysql', where all the data belong to mysql db like mysql-log, mysql-dbschema are owned by user mysql. Can you see something in those lines.

I hope, you are referring to http://dev.mysql.com/doc/, where they have excellent information.

Happy Mysqling :)

--Cheers