How to import an SQL file using the command line in MySQL? I have a .sql file with an export from phpMyAdmin. I want to import it into a different server using the command line. I have a Windows Server 2008 R2 installation. I placed the .sql file on the C drive, and I tried this command database_name < file.sql It is not working I get syntax errors. How can I import this file without a problem? Do I need to create a database first?