For the following instructions, suppose that you want to run the mysqld  server from two different versions of MySQL that are installed at C:\mysql-5.7.9  and C:\mysql-8.0.25 , respectively. (This might be the case if you are running 5.7.9 as your production server, but also want to conduct tests using 8.0.25.) 

To install MySQL as a Windows service, use the --install  or --install-manual  option. For information about these options, see Section 2.3.4.8, “Starting MySQL as a Windows Service” . 

Based on the preceding information, you have several ways to set up multiple services. The following instructions describe some examples. Before trying any of them, shut down and remove any existing MySQL services. 

• Approach 1:  Specify the options for all services in one of the standard option files. To do this, use a different service name for each server. Suppose that you want to run the 5.7.9 mysqld  using the service name of mysqld1  and the 8.0.25 mysqld  using the service name mysqld2 . In this case, you can use the [mysqld1]  group for 5.7.9 and the [mysqld2]  group for 8.0.25. For example, you can set up C: \my.cnf  like this: 

# options for mysqld1 service [mysqld1] basedir = C:/mysql-5.7.9 port = 3307 enable-named-pipe socket = mypipe1 # options for mysqld2 service [mysqld2] basedir = C:/mysql-8.0.25 port = 3308 enable-named-pipe socket = mypipe2 

Install the services as follows, using the full server path names to ensure that Windows registers the correct executable program for each service: 

C:\> C:\mysql-5.7.9\bin\mysqld --install mysqld1 C:\> C:\mysql-8.0.25\bin\mysqld --install mysqld2 

To start the services, use the services manager, or NET START  or SC START  with the appropriate service names: 

C:\> SC START mysqld1 C:\> SC START mysqld2 

To stop the services, use the services manager, or use NET STOP  or SC STOP  with the appropriate service names: 

C:\> SC STOP mysqld1 C:\> SC STOP mysqld2 

• Approach 2:  Specify options for each server in separate files and use --defaults-file  when you install the services to tell each server what file to use. In this case, each file should list options using a [mysqld]  group. 

With this approach, to specify options for the 5.7.9 mysqld , create a file C:\my-opts1.cnf  that looks like this: 

[mysqld] basedir = C:/mysql-5.7.9 port = 3307 enable-named-pipe socket = mypipe1 

