Go to /path/to/phpmyadmin/config.inc.php (or something similar) Change these settings: $cfg['Servers'][$i]['controluser'] = 'pma'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['controlpass'] = 'yourpass'; (don't forget to give user pma a password otherweise people can easily see your table design info) ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Now change the names of the databases like beneath (note that table names are case sensitive, use lower pma): $cfg['Servers'][$i]['pmadb'] = 'phpmyadmin'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['bookmarktable'] = 'pma_bookmark'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['relation'] = 'pma_relation'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_info'] = 'pma_table_info'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['table_coords'] = 'pma_table_coords'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['pdf_pages'] = 'pma_pdf_pages'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['column_info'] = 'pma_column_info'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['history'] = 'pma_history'; $cfg['Servers'][$i]['designer_coords'] = 'pma_designer_coords'; ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// As final you must run a SQL script that you can find in: /path/to/phpmyadmin/scripts/create_tables_mysql_4_1_2+.sql simply execute this sql with the phpmyadmin import function and it will create phpmyadmin database and tables defined above. DESIGNER MODE IS NOW AVAILABLE