ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; Want to configure a password as root being the user

Question

I have just downloaded WAMP. I want to configure a password for the MySQL root user using MySQL console. No password has been set previously.

The following is the input

    mysql-> use mysql     Database changed     mysql-> UPDATE user          -> SET Password=PASSWORD<'elephant7'>          -> WHERE user='root'; 

ERROR 1064 (42000): You have an error in your SQL syntax; check the manual that corresponds to your MySQL server version for the right syntax to use near 'WHERE user='root'' at line 3

Answer 1

I was using MySQL 8 and non of the above worked for me.

This is what I had to do:

ALTER USER 'root'@'localhost' IDENTIFIED BY 'new_password'; 

Answer 2

You can use:

SET PASSWORD FOR 'root' = PASSWORD('elephant7'); 

or, in latest versions:

SET PASSWORD FOR root = 'elephant7'  

You can also use:

UPDATE user SET password=password('elephant7') WHERE user='root'; 

but in Mysql 5.7 the field password is no more there, and you have to use:

UPDATE user SET authentication_string=password('elephant7') WHERE user='root'; 

Regards