MySQL Bugs: #67850: Windows MySQL Upgrades Remove Existing Users

Bug #67850	Windows MySQL Upgrades Remove Existing Users
Submitted:	9 Dec 2012 17:35	Modified:	22 Aug 2014 12:54
Reporter:	Rafael Salomon	Email Updates:
Status:	No Feedback	Impact on me:	None
Category:	MySQL for Windows: Installer	Severity:	S2 (Serious)
Version:	5.5.28	OS:	Windows (2008)
Assigned to:		CPU Architecture:	Any

Description:
When upgrading from one minor MySQL version to another minor MySQL version, user accounts are lost.

How to repeat:
1. install any older MySQL version (e.g. 5.5.17)
2. create a user (e.g. fred)
3. run windows installer to upgrade (mysql-5.5.28-winx64.msi)
4. check for fred (gone)
5. run mysql_upgrade.exe
6. check for fred (still gone)

Suggested fix:
make an upgrade installer that doesn't kill the existing users

http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=67041
and
http://bugs.mysql.com/bug.php?id=61826

.. may be related somehow.

I think I figured out what the problem is.  If the data is not in the default location that the new version of MySQL expects, the users get lost.

Detailed steps for reproducing problem:

1. run installer for old version (e.g. mysql-5.5.17-winx64.msi)
2. create user (e.g. fred)
3. stop mysql service
4. move Data directory from default (datadir="C:/ProgramData/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.5/Data/") to different location (datadir="C:/Program Files/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.5/Data/") (this is where it used to live under even older mysql versions which is why our my.ini file still has it located there)
5. update datadir variable in my.ini to match
6. start mysql server
7. look for fred (still exists)
8. run installer for new mysql version (e.g. mysql-5.5.28-winx64.msi)
9. look for fred (gone)

Thank you for the report.

Do you run configuration manager in the step "8. run installer for new mysql version (e.g. mysql-5.5.28-winx64.msi)"?

I don't remember.  I think this happened two years ago.  If I run into the problem again, I'll let you know.

Thank you for the feedback.

Please update the report if you meet this issue again. Actually I expect that this error can only happen when you run configuration manager, because the manager rewrites my.ini file. If you did not this should not happen.

No feedback was provided for this bug for over a month, so it is
being suspended automatically. If you are able to provide the
information that was originally requested, please do so and change
the status of the bug back to "Open".