Installing and Testing MySQL - Database Design Manual: Using MySQL for Windows - page 12

Figure 2.3 The first MySQL admin screen.

If you are not familiar with Linux, root is the standard administrator account on a Linux
system. You can use other credentials here, but throughout the rest of the section we will
assume that you have used the above. The information that you have typed will be stored in
the MySQL start-up file so you will not have to provide this information in this way again
unless you reinstall the server or otherwise remove the start-up file.
Depending on your operating system and the version of MySQL that you have used, the
preceding process also installs a shortcut to WinMySQLadmin.exe in your start-up group.
This ensures that the MySQL server starts up every time you restart your machine. You can
also register mysql as a win32 service on certain operating systems. This is done by running
the following at the dos prompt:

c:\mysql\bin\mysqld-nt —install

To verify that the server is running, MySQL puts an icon in the system tray. The icon
resembles a traffic control, as shown in Figure 2.4. When the server is active the telltale
shows a green light. When the server is loaded but not running a red light will show.
When you run your mouse over the telltale you are presented with a context menu, as
shown in Figure 2.5. The Show me option will redisplay the screen shown in Figure 2.3 and
is the only way that you can get back to this screen without starting another instance of the
MySQL server.
One other option will be available to you, which will change depending on your operat-
ing system and provides a means of starting and stopping the service.