Bug #113697 8.3 Configurator will not allow me to change the data directory
Submitted: 21 Jan 2024 10:23 Modified: 27 Jan 2024 9:10
Reporter: Anthony Marston Email Updates:
Status: Not a Bug Impact on me:
None 
Category:MySQL Server: Installing Severity:S3 (Non-critical)
Version:8.3 OS:Windows (10)
Assigned to: CPU Architecture:Any
Tags: 8.3, Configurator

[21 Jan 2024 10:23] Anthony Marston
Description:
I am upgrading from MySQL 8.2 to MySQL 8.3. I copied my data directory from "F:\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.2" to "F:\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.3" so that I could upgrade it. The server was installed OK, but when I ran the configurator it would not allow me to chnage the location of the DATA directory. I will attempty to attach a screenshot.

How to repeat:
Install 8.3 community server, then run configurator.

Suggested fix:
Allow the DATA directory in the configurator to be changed from the default "C:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 8.3"
[22 Jan 2024 13:04] MySQL Verification Team
Hello Anthony,

Thank you for the bug report.
Imho this is an expected behavior. 
There is a warning displayed when attempting to change the data directory: The specified path exists and it is not empty.

Regards,
Ashwini Patil
[22 Jan 2024 14:50] Anthony Marston
If I am not allowed to change the DATA directory to a non-empty path then how am I supposed to update the data from a previous version? Is there a utility to copy the data directory from one version to another?
[27 Jan 2024 9:10] Anthony Marston
You still have not answered the questio "If I am not allowed to change the DATA directory to a non-empty path then how am I supposed to update the data from a previous version? Why should I be forced to create a new folder without any application databases? Is there a utility to copy the data directory from one version to another?"
[30 Jan 2024 18:30] Jose Ramirez Ruiz
Hi Anthony,
MySQL Configurator does not support configuring a server using an existing server installation. However, it does support upgrading an existing installation via an in-place upgrade if the existing installation meets the following criteria:

- Instance is running (mysqld.exe is running).
- A my.ini configuration file exists at the same location as the "Data" folder.

When Configurator 8.3.0 identifies running MySQL instances it will enable the "MySQL Server Installations" configuration page in which it is possible to connect to the existing instance and proceed with an in-place upgrade. A future version is expected to allow changing the data directory path as part of the upgrade but this is noy yet supported in 8.3.0.

For details on the upgrade feature see this page: https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.3/en/mysql-configurator-workflow-server.html
For details on perfoming a manual upgrade if you are not able to achieve it using MySQL Configurator see this page (look for the In-Place upgrade section): https://dev.mysql.com/doc/refman/8.3/en/upgrade-binary-package.html#:~:text=An%20in%2Dplac....

Regards

Jose Ramirez
MySQL Windows Experience team