The Best Way to Install Apache Tomcat on Windows

PDF download Download Article
A complete guide for beginners to get Tomcat up and running fast
PDF download Download Article

Tomcat is a popular open-source web server that runs Java applications. Whether you're a Java developer, a system administrator, or just a beginner, installing Tomcat on Windows is simple. Once you've installed the latest version of Java, you can download and run the latest Tomcat Windows Service Installer, which walks you through the rest of the setup. This wikiHow guide teaches you how to install the Apache Tomcat web server environment on your Windows PC.

Things You Should Know

  • You'll need Java 11 or later to run Tomcat. If you're using an earlier version, download and install the latest JDK.
  • When running the Tomcat installer, select the "Full" installation to install the management interfaces and make Tomcat launch automatically.
  • You won't see a Tomcat icon in the system tray when Tomcat is running, but you'll see its process in Task Manager.
Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Installing & Configuring Java

PDF download Download Article
  1. To run the latest version of Apache Tomcat on Windows, you'll to install Java 11 or later. [1] To get the latest version of Java, you'll want to download the latest JDK (Java Development Toolkit) installer:
  2. Double-click the file you downloaded, then follow the on-screen instructions on the installer. Once Java is installed, click Close on the wizard.
    • Java will install to C:\Program Files\Java\jdk(version number) by default.
    Advertisement
  3. Once installed, press Windows key + E to open File Explorer, click This PC in the left panel, and navigate to Program Files > Java .
    • If you installed Java in a different location, go to that location now.
  4. For example, you'll see a folder called jdk-21 (if you installed Java 21) in the Java folder. Double-click the JDK folder to open it.
  5. At the top of File Explorer, click the path to the folder, select the full path to the current folder, right-click it, and select Copy on the menu.
  6. Now that the path is copied, you'll need to update your environment variables . To open System Properties:
    • Type advanced system into the Windows search bar.
    • Click View advanced system settings .
  7. This button is near the bottom-right corner of the dialogue box.
  8. This section is the second box at the bottom of the Environment Variables window.
  9. This will be the name of your new system variable.
  10. Right-click the bottom field and select Paste to paste the copied folder directory.
  11. This will add your new system variable.
  12. Scroll down the variable list in the bottom box, and click Path to select it.
  13. This will allow you to edit the contents of the Path variable in a new dialogue box.
  14. It's in the upper-right corner of the window. This will add a new entry at the bottom of the list.
  15. This will be added to the Path variable in your system.
    • Click OK 2 more times until all System Properties windows are closed. You are now ready to download and install the Tomcat files on your computer.
    16. Advertisement
Part 2
Part 2 of 2:

Installing Tomcat

PDF download Download Article
  1. As of October 2023, you can download Apache Tomcat 10.1.14. The Apache Software Foundation recommends using the Windows Service Installer, which makes it easy to install Tomcat on both 64-bit and 32-bit Windows systems. [2]
    • Go to https://tomcat.apache.org .
    • Click the Tomcat 10 link in the left panel.
    • Under "Binary Distributions," click 32-bit/64-bit Windows Service Installer .
    • If prompted, select a saving location for the installer file.
  2. This will open the License Agreement on a new page.
  3. It's on the bottom-right corner of the installer window.
  4. This option ensures that you'll be installing the core aspects of Tomcat, a script that launches the server automatically at boot time, the admin management panel, the Tomcat Host app, and the Servlet and JSP Examples web app.
    • Optionally, you can click and uncheck the components you don't want to install on the list here.
  5. By default, Tomcat will run on port 8080. If you want it to run on a different port, replace the port. You can also give the Tomcat service a name other than "Tomcat10," and create an administrator username and password for the HTML interfaces here.
    • You will need to open TCP port 8080 (or the custom port you entered) to allow inbound connections.
  6. When you're prompted to specify the location of your JRE (Java Runtime Environment), click this button to select your file location.
  7. The default path is C:\Program Files\Java\jdk(version number).
  8. By default, Tomcat will install to C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Tomcat 10.1. You can change the installation location if you'd like. Once you click Install , Tomcat will install on Windows.
  9. When your Tomcat setup is finished, click this button to close the installer. If you leave the "Run Apache Tomcat" option selected, Tomcat will launch instantly.
    • Because you chose the Full installation, the Windows Tomcat service will launch automatically each time you restart your PC.
    • Even though Tomcat is running, you won't see an icon for it in your system tray. However, when you open Task Manager, you'll see it on the Processes tab and an entry for it on the Startup apps tab.
  10. Instead of editing configuration files directly, you can use this GUI tool in your Start menu to adjust the following:
    • Control whether the Tomcat service launches automatically.
    • Choose whether to log on as a local service account, network service account, local system account, or a specific account.
    • Choose what appears in your server logs and where the server logs are stored.
    • Specify which version of Java to use (helpful if you install more than one version), and specify Java options, memory preferences, and classpath.
    • Add startup flags to Tomcat (check the Readme file for options).
    • Choose shutdown options.
    11. Advertisement

Expert Q&A

Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • Tomcat has an HTML management interface that makes creating and managing virtual hosts on your server easy. You can open Host Manager by clicking Host Manager in the "Apache Tomcat" group in your Start menu. [3]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • You can control who has access to Host Manager and Tomcat Manager by editing the tomcat-users.xml file in C:\Program Files\Tomcat 10.1\conf. [4]
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      • To deploy web applications, use Tomcat Manager in your browser. You can get there by navigating to https//127.0.0.1/manager/html.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Install Google Chrome Using Terminal on Linux
      How to
      Uninstall Microsoft Edge Permanently from Windows 10 or 11
      How to
      Install DEB Files in Linux: Gdebi, Apt, Dpkg, & More
      How to
      Install Roblox
      6 Quick Steps to Download & Install Spotify on macOS
      How to
      Install AltStore on an iPhone or iPad
      How to
      Disable McAfee LiveSafe or Total Protection Without Uninstalling
      How to
      Install The Sims 4: Mac, PC, PlayStation, & Xbox
      A Step-by-Step Guide to Uninstalling Valorant
      Simple Ways to Uninstall Outlook on a PC or Mac
      How to
      Uninstall Opera
      2 Simple Ways to Uninstall the Epic Games Launcher
      How to
      Download Files and Documents to a Computer or Mobile
      How to
      Install Software on Linux: Packages, Compiling, & More
      Advertisement

      References

      1. ↑ https://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-10.1-doc/RUNNING.txt
      2. ↑ https://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-10.1-doc/setup.html#Windows
      3. ↑ https://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-9.0-doc/html-host-manager-howto.html
      4. ↑ https://tomcat.apache.org/tomcat-7.0-doc/manager-howto.html

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      1. Install and configure Java JDK.
      2. Download the Tomcat 9 installer from https://tomcat.apache.org/download-90.cgi .
      3. Launch the installer.
      4. Click Next , and then I Agree .
      5. Select the Full install, and click Next twice .
       6. Click the three-dot button to specify JRE location.
      7. Select your jre folder, and click OK .
      8. Click Next , and then Install .
      9. Click Finish .

      Did this summary help you?
      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 48,209 times.

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement