phpMyAdmin - Error

[amanda099]

I have XAMPP 1.7.2 installed on my Wondows XP computer.
My phpMyAdmin has been working nicely until today.
It doesn't let me go to the phpMyAdmin Interface anylonger. Instead I receive the following error every time:

phpMyAdmin - Error
Cannot start session without errors, please check errors given in your PHP and/or webserver log file and configure your PHP installation properly.

Please Provide me some suggestions or Solution ! Where is the PHP and/or webserver log file ?

Amanda

[Axanon]

use the search function fo find anything *.log off your xampp install path. It will probably be in a folder ..\logs\ of some sort.

[Izzy]

Please Provide me some suggestions or Solution !

Without knowing what errors are being referred to it would be impossible to provide a solution.

Where is the PHP and/or webserver log file ?

C:\xampp\apache\logs in a default installation.

Check that you are using the correct php.ini file by going to the link phpinfo() in the XAMPP Welcome (Admin) page - look for Loaded Configuration File which should be the php.ini file in C:\xampp\php\ - have you had or do you still have another instance of PHP on your PC?

Also make sure that any disk cleanup utility that you may have used has not deleted the C:\xampp\tmp folder - in fact make sure that any disk cleanup utility you may use does not have access to the xampp installation folder.

[amanda099]

Izzy

I'm experiencing some instability in the phpMyAdmin. It made a comeback thankfully. I haven't made any modification anywhere, strange ! Is that kind of instability in phpadmin somewhat commonplace ?

Check that you are using the correct php.ini file by going to the link phpinfo() in the XAMPP Welcome (Admin) page - look for Loaded Configuration File which should be the php.ini file in C:\xampp\php\ - have you had or do you still have another instance of PHP on your PC?

I uninstalled the old instance of PHP just before I installed XAMPP.
According to phpinfo(), I have the php.ini file in C:\xampp\php\, that is:
Loaded Configuration File C:\xampp\php\php.ini

Also make sure that any disk cleanup utility that you may have used has not deleted the C:\xampp\tmp folder - in fact make sure that any disk cleanup utility you may use does not have access to the xampp installation folder

I remember I haven't used any disk cleanup utility for sometime now But thank you for the info I will pay attention to that the next time I do the cleanup.

Amanda

[Izzy]

I'm experiencing some instability in the phpMyAdmin. It made a comeback thankfully. I haven't made any modification anywhere, strange ! Is that kind of instability in phpadmin somewhat commonplace ?

Not if everything is in order on your PC.

I have just made a post explaining how to check the System variables for another forum member here:
viewtopic.php?p=149419#p149419

Instead of looking for his problem path you should look for an entry that was perhaps left behind by your last PHP installation:
SetEnv PHPRC "path"
the "path" will be the path to the last PHP installation which you removed.

If you find it then delete the whole entry by selecting it then using the Delete button - click OK then OK again then close the Windows Control Panel - you may need to reboot after the edits.

This SetEnv PHPRC "path" is now included in the C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-xampp.conf file near line 10 and as such may be conflicting with the entry in the System variables (if it exists) causing some instability issues perhaps.

Also may be worth scanning your registry for any of the old PHP installation entries and deleting them if you find any.

[amanda099]

Hi Izzy

Thank You for your very clear and detailed explanation.

In the Windows Control Panel->System->Advanced->Environment Variables
Under User variables, I have these:
TEMP C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Local Settings\Temp
TMP C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Local Settings\Temp

Under System variables, I have this among other things:
Path C:\Perl\site\bin;C:\Perl\bin;C:\ColdFusio...

I remember I have deleted the folder C:\Perl before I installed XAMPP. I have C:\XAMPP\perl\ now .
Should I deleted Path C:\Perl\site\bin;C:\Perl\bin;C:\ColdFusio... ? It might cause some instability issues ?

Also may be worth scanning your registry for any of the old PHP installation entries and deleting them if you find any.

I'm at a loss how best to scan my registry . Might you provide some methodology or direct me to the best site to learn how to effect that ?

Amanda Nguyen

[Izzy]

Hello Amanda,

...Under User variables, I have these:
TEMP C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Local Settings\Temp
TMP C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Local Settings\Temp

They are fine.

Under System variables...
...I remember I have deleted the folder C:\Perl before I installed XAMPP. I have C:\XAMPP\perl\ now .
Should I deleted Path C:\Perl\site\bin;C:\Perl\bin;C:\ColdFusio... ? It might cause some instability issues ?

If you no longer have Perl in a location other than XAMPP then by all means delete those entries only, same for the ColdFusion entry if that is long gone and anything else in the Path variables you spot that you know for sure has been deleted from your PC - don't delete the whole Path variable only those entries you know are not needed using the Edit button.

I'm at a loss how best to scan my registry . Might you provide some methodology or direct me to the best site to learn how to effect that ?

This from the Help menu in regedit - see Notes in the quote below:

To export all or part of the registry to a text file

1. Open Registry Editor (see Notes below).

2. On the File menu, click Export.

3. In File name, enter a name for the registry file.

4. Under Export range, do one of the following:
* To back up the entire registry, click All.
* To back up only a particular branch of the registry tree, click Selected branch and enter the name of the branch you want to export.

5. Click Save.

Caution
* Incorrectly editing the registry may severely damage your system. Before making changes to the registry, you should back up any valued data on your computer.

Notes
* To open Registry Editor, click Start, click Run, type regedit, and then click OK.

* You can use a text editor like Notepad to work with the registry files you create by exporting.

To read the whole of this help snippet after loading regedit, click on the Help>Help Topics>Index>exporting registry data to text files - save the export/backup file with a .reg file extension.

To search the registry after loading regedit>Edit>Find... then type your keyword(s) php or phpmyadmin perhaps - this, like any other search facility including these forums here, is reliant on your experimentation with the keywords used - you can also find help details in the above mentioned Index>searching for registry keys, values or strings.


Also you may like to search your PC for any other instances of a php.ini file and delete them, other than any that are in the xampp installation folder tree that is.

Best of luck.

[amanda099]

Hi Izzy Hi

Here's my 'raid' elimanating the evil php.ini hiding in their fortresses .

Using regedit>Edit>Find and then type the keyword php I found:
(Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
000 REG_SZ php.ini

I don't see the location of the above php.ini What would I do with it ?

Using regedit>Edit>Find and then type the keyword phpMyAdmin I found:
(Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
a REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\timetest.php
b REG_SZ C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Desktop\Apache\test.php
c REG_SZ C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Desktop\config.inc.php
d REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\phpMyAdmin-3.1.2-all-languages\config.inc.php
e REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\phpMyAdmin\try.php
MRUList REG_SZ edcba

I dont have any of these above files in my computer. Should I delete them all ?

Upon searching all files and folders in My Computer I found another instance of php.ini ( C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\PHP5\php.ini) and have deleted it , hehehe The enemy seemed to be destroyed .


Amanda Nguyen

[Izzy]

Using regedit>Edit>Find and then type the keyword php I found:
(Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
000 REG_SZ php.ini

I don't see the location of the above php.ini What would I do with it ?

You can safely delete the whole key as XAMPP does not make these entries in the registry.

Using regedit>Edit>Find and then type the keyword phpMyAdmin I found:
(Default) REG_SZ (value not set)
a REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\timetest.php
b REG_SZ C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Desktop\Apache\test.php
c REG_SZ C:\Documents and Settings\Amanda Nguyen\Desktop\config.inc.php
d REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\phpMyAdmin-3.1.2-all-languages\config.inc.php
e REG_SZ C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\phpMyAdmin\try.php
MRUList REG_SZ edcba

I dont have any of these above files in my computer. Should I delete them all ?

Yes as XAMPP does not make these entries in the registry.

Upon searching all files and folders in My Computer I found another instance of php.ini ( C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Start
Menu\Programs\PHP5\php.ini) and have deleted it , hehehe The enemy seemed to be destroyed .

Well done as this php.ini perhaps coupled with the those surplus registry entries may well have been the remaining enemy mine field that caused your instability.

This registry issue with software authors, failing to sweep up their rubbish that they leave behind after uninstalling their software, is quite a common bone of contention and BTW there is no bigger culprit than Micro$oft them selves - and is why there are so many money making registry cleaning utilities out there in the wild to do the job for them.

Good luck Amanda.

[amanda099]

Izzy
Thank you for your effort and working with me so I was able to understand the issues and clear them up .
Thank goodness I had some wise assistance to walk me through the minefield , emerging on the otherside with all my limbs intact !
Amanda