Title: Can’t select the wordpress database…?
Last modified: August 18, 2016

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# Can’t select the wordpress database…?

 *  [bluqueen777](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bluqueen777/)
 * (@bluqueen777)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/)
 * Hello! This is probably a very dumb question, but I am new to this program, so
   any help would be very appreciated.
 * I am trying to install the program on my website (I do not host it myself, I 
   FTP’ed everything to my host.) I get the following message when I view the install
   page:
    “We were able to connect to the database server (which means your username
   and password is okay) but not able to select the wordpress database.”
 * What is the wordpress database? How do I create it? Or, how do I select it? According
   to my host’s documentation, I already have a database that is initialized in 
   my username. Do I need to ask them to set up a database with the name “wordpress”??
 * Thanks for your help!! 🙂

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

 *  [Kafkaesqui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kafkaesqui/)
 * (@kafkaesqui)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163110)
 * No, you can use the database you already have. I recommend reading through the
   installation instructions:
 * [http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress](http://codex.wordpress.org/Installing_WordPress)
 *  Thread Starter [bluqueen777](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bluqueen777/)
 * (@bluqueen777)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163111)
 * Thank you for your reply!
    So, if I understand correctly, to use the db that 
   should be in my name, I would set the parameters as follows:
 * define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘usernme’); // The name of the database
    define(‘DB_USER’, ‘
   username’); // Your MySQL username define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘my password’); // …
   and password define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’);
 * right? If that still doesn’t work, it’s probably a question for my host, correct?
   
   Thank you for your help!!
 *  [Kafkaesqui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kafkaesqui/)
 * (@kafkaesqui)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163113)
 * DB_NAME would be set to the name of your database, and sometimes DB_HOST needs
   a specific server address, but otherwise yep.
 *  Thread Starter [bluqueen777](https://wordpress.org/support/users/bluqueen777/)
 * (@bluqueen777)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163114)
 * Thank you!
    Do you think the server address would be requiring a “http:\\” – 
   ie to the specific server on which my host puts my files? 1,000,000,000 thank-
   you’s for your help tonight!
 *  [Kafkaesqui](https://wordpress.org/support/users/kafkaesqui/)
 * (@kafkaesqui)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163115)
 * “Do you think the server address would be requiring a “http:\\””
 * No, just use the name as it’s provided, so if it’s “mysql.site.com,” then that’s
   how you enter it in wp-config.php.
 *  [krawunsel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/krawunsel/)
 * (@krawunsel)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163571)
 * define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘usernme’); // The name of the database
    define(‘DB_USER’, ‘
   username’); // Your MySQL username define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘my password’); // …
   and password define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’);
 * I know that it’s a stupid question but do I have to keep the ‘ in the listing?
   I’m just getting started with all this and I might have a lot more questions 
   before I’m done.
 *  [dave_merwin](https://wordpress.org/support/users/dave_merwin/)
 * (@dave_merwin)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163577)
 * You settings should look something like the following:
 * define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘my_database’); // The name of the database
    define(‘DB_USER’,‘
   bill’); // Your MySQL username define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘thisismypassword’); // …
   and password define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’);
 * In 90% of scenario’s you will NOT need to change the localhost setting. If you
   do need to, your isp will need to provide that to you.
 *  [krawunsel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/krawunsel/)
 * (@krawunsel)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163596)
 * Thank you… I got this far now. But there’s an other problem now – I get the message
   that ” options.php” is not there (supposed to be in the admin folder) when I 
   try to update things in the general options section. However, my ftp uploadet
   tells me the file is there. What’s wrong???
 *  [lawtai](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lawtai/)
 * (@lawtai)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163600)
 * make sure that you don’t have any 0 size files. if so, you’ll need to reupload
   it.
 *  [krawunsel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/krawunsel/)
 * (@krawunsel)
 * [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163603)
 * No I don’t. I found out I must refresh the page and then it works. 😉

Viewing 10 replies - 1 through 10 (of 10 total)

The topic ‘Can’t select the wordpress database…?’ is closed to new replies.

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 10 replies
 * 5 participants
 * Last reply from: [krawunsel](https://wordpress.org/support/users/krawunsel/)
 * Last activity: [21 years, 2 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/cant-select-the-wordpress-database/#post-163603)
 * Status: not resolved

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