Install JIRA Server on Windows

Read This First — Jira Server Support Has Ended

Before the steps, the one fact every installer screen will not tell you: this edition has reached the end of its life. That does not make the video's install wrong — it decides where you should run it.

So follow this guide the way the video presents it — for a lab or training setup, to maintain an existing licensed install, or to learn how Jira really works before moving to Cloud or Data Center. Do not build a brand-new production system on an unpatched edition, and never expose one to the open internet.

Check the Machine Before You Install

Use a 64-bit Windows machine and sign in with an administrator account — the installer needs admin rights. A regular Windows 10 or 11 PC is fine for learning and evaluation; a machine a whole team depends on belongs on a dedicated Windows Server that stays on.

You do not need to install Java or Tomcat separately — the Windows installer bundles both. Keep your Jira licence key ready, or plan to generate a time-limited evaluation licence during the setup wizard in Step 6.

Download the Installer from Atlassian

Download the 64-bit Windows installer (.exe) for Jira Software from Atlassian's official site. Existing Server customers get the Server releases from the downloads section of their Atlassian account — the install flow is the one shown in the video.

Run the Installer — Folders, Port and Service

Run the .exe as administrator and choose the Custom install so you can see every choice. The first folder is the installation directory, where the program files go:

C:\Program Files\Atlassian\Jira

The second is the home directory — where Jira stores your attachments, logs, indexes and configuration. This is the folder you will back up later, so remember where you put it:

C:\Program Files\Atlassian\Application Data\Jira

Keep the default HTTP port 8080 unless something else on this machine already uses it (Step 5 shows the check). Select Run Jira as a service — this makes Jira start automatically with Windows; without it, Jira only runs while you start it manually. If you have a second drive, putting the home directory there is a sensible choice, because it will grow.

Finish the installer and let it launch Jira.

Check Port 8080 Is Free

If the first page never opens, the most common reason is that another program is already holding Jira's port. Open Command Prompt and run:

netstat -ano | findstr :8080

If nothing is listed, the port is free and Jira can use it. If a result shows a program already listening on 8080, either stop that program or go back and give Jira a different port in the installer — two programs cannot share one port.

Finish in the Browser — the Setup Wizard

Open Jira in a browser on the server:

http://localhost:8080

The first load can take a few minutes while Jira builds its database tables — a slow first start is normal, not a failure. Then work through the wizard:

Database: choose how you will set Jira up. The quick route uses the built-in database — fine for evaluation, not for production. For anything serious, connect an external database instead.

Licence: enter your licence key, or generate the time-limited evaluation licence.

Administrator account: create the first admin with a strong password and note the username — this account is your rescue key later. Set the base URL, and skip the mail server for now if you need to: mail can be configured later, so do not stall the install on it.

Add Service Desk on the Same Instance

The video installs Jira + Service Desk together. Service Desk runs as an application on top of this same Jira instance — you add it after the core setup, from the application management area of the Jira administration, and licence it separately; an evaluation licence works the same way as in Step 6.

That gives you one install and one login for your team: the software projects and the service desk projects sit side by side on the same Jira, sharing the same users.

First Login — and the Three Checks If the Page Never Opens

Log in with the administrator account you created. Create one sample project and one test issue — if you can create it, assign it and close it, the install is healthy. Open Administration → System info once and confirm Jira sees the memory and database you expect.

If the page never opens, check three things before reinstalling: the Atlassian Jira Windows service is actually running; nothing else is holding port 8080 (the Step 5 command); and the log file atlassian-jira.log inside the home directory's log folder — it records the real error behind a failed start.