2.3.4.4 Initializing the Data Directory

If you installed MySQL using the noinstall package, you may need to initialize the data directory:

Windows distributions prior to MySQL 5.7.7 include a data directory with a set of preinitialized accounts in the mysql database.
As of 5.7.7, Windows installation operations performed using the noinstall package do not include a data directory. To initialize the data directory, use the instructions at Section 2.9.1, “Initializing the Data Directory”.