How to install Akaunting on Windows 10 using IIS

Akaunting software is a free and open-source web-based application for finance & accounting purposes. Here we will see the steps to install it on Windows 10 using the IIS web server.

Akaunting is open-source with a GitHub repository and uses PHP 7.2 or higher and Mysql to get installed and operate. For webserver, it supports Apache, Nginx, and IIS. Although we can use Apache and Nginx on Windows 10 using the WSL Linux app, I think it would be great if we go for an inbuilt IIS- Internet Informations service web server of Windows 10 to install Akaunting because of its better integration.

 

Install Akaunting software on Windows 10 or 7

So, first of all, we have to enable the IIS web server on Windows 10 and then we can install the Akaunting free accounting software. So, let’s get started.

Note:  If you don’t want to use complicated IIS then go for Windows 10 subsystem for Linux– here is the tutorial on that- Steps-to-install-Akaunting-software-on-windows-10-using-WSL

 

Step 1: Install the IIS Web server on Windows 10 for Akaunting

If you already have enabled the IIS on Windows 10 then simply move to the next step otherwise type: “Turn Windows features On or Off” in the Windows search box as it appears, and click on it to open the same.

Now, scroll down and select an option called “Internet Information Services ” and press the OK button.

Let it install and after that restart your system. For more information on it, you can see our tutorial on how to enable IIS on Windows 10.

 

Step 2: Install Php, Php Manager & MySql for the IIS webserver

As we know that open source applications such as Akaunting are based on PHP Hypertext programming language and require a database to save files for them we need PHP or MariaDB/PostgreSQL/MySQL. Thus, first, we set these for Windows 10 IIS server before installing Akaunting. Also, one extra extension we will install is PHP manager, it helps us to manage the version and extensions of PHP on the IIS web server, graphically.

To install them we will not be going to use the Microsoft web platform installer because most of the packages available in it are too old or not available plus also slow in downloading. So, in such a case from my point of view, the best way to install all of them is Chocolatey Choco, a Windows package manager just like we have in Linux Distros.

In the Windows search box type the command prompt and run it as administrator.

 

Now use the below command to install chocolatey, if you haven’t yet.

@"%SystemRoot%\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\powershell.exe" -NoProfile -InputFormat None -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Command "iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))" && SET "PATH=%PATH%;%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\chocolatey\bin"

Now, close and again open the Command prompt as admin.

Run the following command to install the latest version of PHP on Windows 10

choco install php

Install PHP Manager for IIS Webserver

choco install php-manager

Finally, install MariaDB Database.

choco install mariadb

(optional) If you want to install MySQL not MariaDB, then the command will be:

choco install mysql

Note: Restart your system.

 

Step 3: Set PHP in IIS Manager

Go to Windows search and type IIS, as the Internet Information Services Manager appears, click on it to run.

Among all the features you will see an option for PHP manager, click to open it.

Now, select the option- “Register new PHP version” and the three dots to select the installed PHP file.

 

In Explorer, go to C: Drive-> Select tools folder-> php74 (or whatever version you have) and finally the PHP-cgi.exe file.

 

Now, Akaunting needs a PHP file info extension to work properly. Thus, we have to enable that too. On the same Window, scroll down and click on the “Enable or Disable PHP extensions” Link.

 

Scroll down and find the php_fileinfo.dll file, select that and click on the Enable button given on the right-side panel.

 

Step 4: Create a Database for Akaunting 

Now, MySQL is ready just create a database with a username and password to use with it.

Note: Replace the red color text with values or names which you want to give to your Akaunting Database and that could be anything.

create database demo;

creater user 'h2suser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'pass';

grant all privileges on demo.* to h2suser@localhost;

flush privileges;

exit

Note: Restart your system here before moving further

Step 5: Download Akaunting

So, everything is ready, it’s time to create a website for Akaunting but before that let’s download its core web files which we require to install and run on any web server. Go to the official Akaunting web page, here is the link to download it: www.akaunting.com/thank-you A zipped folder will be on your system. Unzip or extract it somewhere you think, it will be secure and wouldn’t get deleted by somebody / you, accidentally.

Step 6: Create a Website on the IIS server for Akaunting

Well, we already have one default website on an IIS server running on port 80, thus if you want to run Akaunitng on the same port then first we have to change that. Or else rather than changing run this free accounting software website on some custom port. However, here we will let you know how to use port 80 with it. For that select Default website on IIS Manager and then click on the Binding option given on the right-side panel. Now change port 80 to something else, for example, let’s say 8081.

Select the port and then the Edit button. Add the custom port and then finally click on the OK button.

Now, again go to IIS Manager and right-click on the Sites option, and select Add websites.

Give your site a name, as we are installing this free accounting software, thus, I have used the same. After that click on the three dots and browse to the extracted Akaunting folder and select that. We have to also give the right to our IIS server to access the folder content. For that click on Connect as an option.

A pop-up window will open, select “Specific User” and then the Set button.

Use the username and password that you have used to log in to your Windows 10 system where you are installing Akaunting.

Step 7: Add index.php to IIS website Default Document 

Select the created website and double-click on the Default Document feature.

 

Now, select the Add link from the Actions tab and then type index.php followed by the OK button.

Step 8: Access the Akaunting website to set up it.

Open your browser and type:

http://localhost/install/language

A setup page will get opened. Select the language which you want to use in Akaunting, enter the database details and you are good to go.

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