How to Install Nextcloud on Windows VPS

Introduction

Nextcloud is a self-hosted cloud storage solution that allows you to store, share, and access your files from anywhere. In this guide, we’ll show you how to install Nextcloud on a Windows VPS.

Prerequisites

Before starting the installation, ensure the following:

• A Windows VPS with administrative privileges.
• PHP 7.4 or higher installed on your system.
• A web server (e.g., Apache) installed.
• MySQL or MariaDB installed for database management.
• Internet access to download the necessary software.

Step 1: Install Dependencies

Nextcloud requires PHP, a web server, and a database server. Follow the steps below to install these dependencies on your Windows VPS:

1. Install PHP: Download and install PHP from the official website: PHP for Windows.
2. Install Apache Web Server: Download and install Apache from the official website: Apache Download.
3. Install MySQL/MariaDB: Download and install MySQL or MariaDB. You can get MySQL from: MySQL Installer, or MariaDB from: MariaDB Download.

Step 2: Download and Extract Nextcloud

Now, you need to download and extract the Nextcloud files on your Windows VPS:

1. Go to the official Nextcloud download page: Nextcloud Download.
2. Download the latest stable version of Nextcloud.
3. Extract the Nextcloud archive to the document root of your web server. For Apache, this is typically located in the C:\xampp\htdocs directory (if using XAMPP) or C:\Apache24\htdocs for standalone installations.

Step 3: Configure the Database

Next, you’ll need to create a MySQL or MariaDB database for Nextcloud:

1. Log in to MySQL or MariaDB using the command line:

mysql -u root -p

1. Create a new database:

CREATE DATABASE nextcloud;

1. Create a new user and grant privileges:

CREATE USER 'nextclouduser'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'your_password';

GRANT ALL PRIVILEGES ON nextcloud.* TO 'nextclouduser'@'localhost';

1. Flush the privileges:

FLUSH PRIVILEGES;

1. Exit MySQL or MariaDB:

EXIT;

Step 4: Configure Apache for Nextcloud

You need to configure Apache to serve Nextcloud on your Windows VPS:

1. Open the Apache configuration file (httpd.conf) located in C:\xampp\apache\conf\httpd.conf or C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf.
2. Ensure that the following modules are enabled:

LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

LoadModule headers_module modules/mod_headers.so

1. Define a virtual host for Nextcloud:

    DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs/nextcloud"
    ServerName nextcloud.example.com
    <Directory "C:/xampp/htdocs/nextcloud">
        AllowOverride All
        Require all granted
    

                

1. Restart Apache to apply the changes.

Step 5: Complete Nextcloud Installation via Web Interface

Now that everything is set up, you can finish the installation via the Nextcloud web interface:

1. Open your web browser and go to http:///nextcloud or http://nextcloud.example.com if you set up a domain.
2. You will be prompted to create an admin account and enter the database details:
• Database user: nextclouduser
• Database password: Your password
• Database name: nextcloud
• Database host: localhost
3. Click Finish setup to complete the installation.

Step 6: Secure Nextcloud with SSL (Optional)

To secure your Nextcloud installation, it’s recommended to enable HTTPS using a free SSL certificate from Let’s Encrypt:

1. Install Certbot on your Windows VPS.
2. Follow the instructions on the Certbot website to configure SSL for your domain.
3. Once SSL is configured, update your Nextcloud configuration to use HTTPS by editing the config.php file and setting the ‘overwrite.cli.url’ parameter to use HTTPS.

Conclusion

You’ve successfully installed Nextcloud on your Windows VPS. Now, you can begin using Nextcloud to store, share, and access your files securely from any device.