Cant connect to 4.1.9 and 5.02 crashes

[Peter Cutting]

I am trying to go thru the Ruby on Rails tutourial on onlamp.org but mySQL is causing problems. If I install 4.1.9 (no root password) then I cant connect using mysql-front. I have re-installed a number of times. I cant remember the error exactly but its a login error and it ends with something like (using password: NO). So If mySQL is setup to not use passwords why is it refusing my root login?

If I use the 5.0.2 alpha (no root password) then I *can* connect using mysql-front and successfully create the DB,tables,fields etc however when I load a RoR web page that accesses the DB then the mysqld-nt.exe service crashes.

There is a clear difference between 4.1.9 and 5.0.2 alpha

XP home SP2

I am stuck
any help appreciated

Peter