Re: on Windows 10 Mysql 5.7: Mysqld command fails. Can't find \data directory

[Julian Ford]

I have discovered several things but have run into a new problem:
What I discovered:
1. ProgramData directory is hidden. One must uncheck the "hidden" box for c: drive

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Go to the C drive.
3. Click on view.
4. Check on the box Hidden items.

2. Their appears to be an error in the MySQL ini configuration file that is in the MySQL subdirectory. The datadir path parameter reads as follows:

# Path to the database root
datadir=C:/ProgramData/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.7\Data

Is that supposed to read backslash \Data or should it read forward slash /Data?

3. I modified to forward slash and saved as a new ini file.
4. Started as follows from the \bin subdirectory typing at the command line: mysqld --defaults-file="c:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.7\MySQL Server5.7my.ini" --initialize-insecure=on --console

received the following error: could not open required defaults file c:\ProgramData\MySQL\MySQL Server 5.7\MySQL Server5.7my.ini

First question:
Is the back slash wrong?
Second question:
How come the error opening the modified ini file?

thanks.