How to Install Access to Memory (AtoM) on Windows 11

Access to Memory (AtoM) is a web-based application that helps organizations manage and provide access to digital archives. In this tutorial, we will walk you through the steps to install AtoM on a Windows 11 operating system.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have the following:

• Windows 11 operating system
• Apache web server (version 2.4+)
• PHP (version 7.1+)
• MySQL or MariaDB (version 5.7+)
• Latest version of AtoM software
• A user account with administrator privileges

Step 1: Download and Extract AtoM

The first step is to download the latest version of AtoM software from the Access to Memory website. Once you have downloaded the file, extract it to the desired location on your system.

Step 2: Create a Database and User

Next, you need to create a new database and user for AtoM to use. Use the following steps to do this:

1. Open the MySQL or MariaDB command prompt.
2. Type "CREATE DATABASE atom_db;" and press enter to create a new database.
3. Type "CREATE USER 'atom_user'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'password';" and press enter to create a new user.
4. Type "GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON atom_db.* TO 'atom_user'@'localhost';" and press enter to grant all permissions to the user for the new database.
5. Type "FLUSH PRIVILEGES;" and press enter to save the changes.

Step 3: Configure Apache and PHP Settings

To run AtoM, you need to configure your Apache web server and PHP settings. Use the following steps to do this:

1. Open the Apache configuration file located at C:\apache24\conf\httpd.conf.
2. Locate the "DocumentRoot" directive and set it to the AtoM directory path. For example, DocumentRoot "C:/atom".
3. Locate the "Directory" directive and set it to the AtoM directory path. For example, <Directory "C:/atom">.
4. Locate the "AllowOverride" directive and set it to "All" to allow the .htaccess file to override Apache settings.
5. Save and close the configuration file.
6. Open the PHP configuration file located at C:\php\php.ini.
7. Locate the "extension_dir" directive and set it to the path of the PHP extensions directory.
8. Locate the "mysql.default_socket" directive and set it to the location of the MySQL socket file. For example, mysql.default_socket = C:/xampp/mysql/mysql.sock.
9. Save and close the configuration file.

Step 4: Install AtoM

To install AtoM, follow these steps:

1. Open your web browser and go to http://localhost/install.php.
2. Follow the prompts to provide the necessary database and user information.
3. When prompted for the system administrator's account information, create a new username and password.
4. Once the installation is complete, delete the install.php file to secure the installation.

Step 5: Configure AtoM Settings

To configure AtoM settings, follow these steps:

1. Log in to AtoM as the system administrator.
2. Click on the "Configuration" tab.
3. Make any necessary changes to the settings, such as default language, time zone, and thumbnail size.
4. Save your changes.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You have now successfully installed AtoM on your Windows 11 operating system. You can now begin using AtoM to manage and provide access to your digital archives.

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