Download VisualSVN from http://www.visualsvn.com/server/download.
Run the installer, and click Next when prompted.
Set the path for your repository. Windows XP users can accept the defaults. Windows Vista and Windows 7 users may need to change the repository folder path to one inside their user directory.
Once the installation is done, you should see a window which looks like the following screenshot:
You can create a new repository by going to Action | Create New Repository, and entering the name of the repository there.
You have just installed VisualSVN. This offers an easy-to-use management console, and gives you a working Subversion server right out of the box. The default setup is ready-to-go, but there are some extra features you will want to look at if you're using the server in a production environment.
You will find a full guide to the more advanced features of VisualSVN, such as SSL, at http://www.visualsvn.com/server/getting-started/.
VisualSVN is the quickest and easiest way to get a working Subversion server. This method is the best choice for most people.
For the sake of completeness, the following instructions explain how to set up Apache and Subversion separately. If you are using VisualSVN, you can skip the rest of the sections in this chapter.