Your configuration file contains settings (root with no password) that correspond to the default MySQL privileged account. Your MySQL server is running with this default, is open to intrusion, and you really should fix this security hole.
I tried following the instructions here to change the password: viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8829&p=133186#p133186
But that is a 4-year old topic so not sure it's still valid, or whether I'm doing it right
In any event, I went to Privileges >> Edit User: root (host: localhost) >> Change password. Once there, I entered a new password in both boxes, radio button "password" selected and radio button "MySQL 4.1+" selected, then I clicked "Go."
The result was the following error:
Error
SQL query:
SET PASSWORD FOR 'root'@'[my email address here]' = PASSWORD( '*********' )
MySQL said:
#1133 - Can't find any matching row in the user table
where it reads [my email address here] in the above is my email address. That looks like it could be the problem, because essentially it reads 'root'@[something]@[something].com, which can't be right with two @ symbols I wouldn't think.
Any thoughts? Thanks for any help.