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🛠️ OrangeHRM Installation

Install OrangeHRM Step by Step on Windows and Linux

OrangeHRM installs through a browser wizard, so the real work is preparing the stack underneath it — Apache, PHP and a database. This guide does both platforms in order, with the exact checks the installer runs.

✍️ Technical Anshu🖥️ Windows / Linux⏱️ Under an Hour
🎥 Watch the complete OrangeHRM server setup in the video, step by step

There are two honest routes to a running OrangeHRM: Windows with XAMPP (fastest for an office that lives on Windows) and Linux with a LAMP stack (best for a dedicated server). Both end at the same web installer. Pick your route and follow it top to bottom — do not mix steps between them.

Web installer — system check screen (illustration)
OrangeHRM Installer — System Check PHP version 8.1 ............ OK PHP extensions ............. OK MySQL / MariaDB ............ OK Writable folders ........... OK [ Continue ]

The installer checks the stack before it installs — fix anything it flags instead of skipping past it.

1

Route A — Windows with XAMPP

  1. Install XAMPP from its official site and start Apache and MySQL from the XAMPP control panel
  2. Open http://localhost/phpmyadmin and create a database, for example orangehrm, plus a database user with a real password and full rights on that database only
  3. Download the OrangeHRM Starter zip from the official OrangeHRM website
  4. Extract it into C:\xampp\htdocs\orangehrm
  5. Open http://localhost/orangehrm in the browser and run the wizard (next section)

One Windows warning: XAMPP is built for convenience, not for being exposed to the internet. On an office LAN it is a practical choice; do not port-forward it to the public internet.

2

Route B — Linux with a LAMP Stack

  1. Update the server, then install Apache, MariaDB (or MySQL) and PHP with the extensions OrangeHRM needs — the typical set is installed with sudo apt install apache2 mariadb-server php php-mysql php-curl php-gd php-intl php-xml php-mbstring php-zip
  2. Create the database and a dedicated user inside MySQL or MariaDB for OrangeHRM
  3. Download and extract OrangeHRM into /var/www/html/orangehrm
  4. Give the web server ownership of the folder, for example sudo chown -R www-data:www-data /var/www/html/orangehrm
  5. Restart Apache with sudo systemctl restart apache2 and open the server address in a browser

PHP version matters: OrangeHRM 5.x supports PHP 7.4 to 8.1. A brand-new distro PHP outside that range is the most common reason the installer refuses to proceed.

3

The Web Installer Wizard, Screen by Screen

Whichever route you took, the wizard is the same:

  1. Welcome and licence — accept and continue
  2. System check — every line should pass; fix flagged items (PHP extension, folder permissions, database connection) rather than forcing ahead
  3. Database configuration — host (usually localhost), database name, and the dedicated user you created — not the database root account
  4. Admin user — create the first admin with a strong password; this account controls everything
  5. Confirmation and install — the wizard builds the tables; let it finish without closing the tab
  6. Log in with the admin account and confirm the dashboard loads
4

Errors the Wizard Honestly Shows, and Their Fixes

  1. Database connection failed — the database name, user or password is wrong, or the database service is not running. Test the same credentials in phpMyAdmin or the MySQL client first
  2. PHP extension missing — install the named extension and restart Apache; the check screen tells you exactly which one
  3. Folder not writable — on Linux, ownership (www-data); on Windows, check the folder is not read-only and XAMPP runs with normal rights
  4. Blank page after install — usually a PHP version outside the supported range, or Apache's rewrite module off. Check versions before reinstalling anything

Read the error before Googling it — OrangeHRM's installer messages are plain, and the fix is usually the thing the message names.

5

First Five Minutes After Login

  1. Change nothing yet — first confirm you can log out and back in
  2. Set the company name under Admin → Organization → General Information
  3. Note the admin credentials in your password records
  4. Take the first backup of the empty-but-working system (database dump) — it is your clean return point
  5. Only then start adding structure and employees, as the main setup guide shows
🔴 Do not skip the database user step: handing the installer your MySQL root password feels faster, but then the application runs with power over every database on the server. A dedicated user that can touch only the OrangeHRM database is two minutes of work and a real security boundary.

🎥 Watch the Complete Setup Video

See the full OrangeHRM server setup on screen — installation, configuration and the first login, step by step.

▶️ Watch Full Video
❓ Common Questions (FAQ)

Windows or Linux — which is better for OrangeHRM?

Both run the same software. Choose Windows with XAMPP if your office and skills are Windows-based and the system stays on the office LAN. Choose Linux with a LAMP stack for a dedicated server that should run for years with fewer moving parts. The wrong choice is the platform nobody in your office can maintain.

The installer says my PHP version is not supported. What now?

OrangeHRM 5.x supports PHP 7.4 to 8.1. Install a PHP version inside that range (XAMPP bundles let you pick; on Linux you may need the versioned package) and restart Apache. Do not edit the installer to bypass the check — the check exists because the code genuinely breaks outside the range.

Can I install OrangeHRM on my own daily-use PC?

You can for a trial, and many people do. For real employee data, move it to a machine that stays on, is physically secure and gets backed up. Your daily PC gets shut down, carried around and experimented on — three things a people database should never meet.

This guide is based on the Technical Anshu OrangeHRM video • Stuck on a step? Ask in the video comments 🙏