How to install and setup XAMPP 1.7.7 (win7) [SOLVED]

[Arashi]

Hi, I'm really new to XAMPP as I stumbled across it from doing some research on database-driven websites. I'm not sure if this topic is already stated elsewhere in this forum, but I can't seem to find it. So I'm wondering, as I stated above, on how to actually install and set up the application successfully. I've tried several times installing and re-installing it until eventually, the latest version comes out (XAMPP 1.7.7) ^^"

The thing is, when I first attempted to setup the application, it gave me the error below:
Error Status Check Failure (3).
This program must run form your XAMPP root directory

and also, this error on the following re-installations:
No package file found... (Or something like that)

So I followed the advice through this forum relating to that error, but still, my XAMPP doesn't seem to be working well. I may be doing something wrong but I don't have a clue what it is since this is my very first time using XAMPP. And on the latest re-installation (I downloaded XAMPP Windows 1.7.7 - 7Zip, and extracted it to the root file C:\ as instructed somewhere in the XAMPP website and in this forum), Apache and mySQL doesn't run even if I pressed the Start button So yeah... I'm really clueless on what to do right now.

I want to do a database-driven website, so I can easily access the info from and connect to the database locally, but I can't figure out what I did wrong with the installation. And anyway, I'm using Windows 7 Home Premium, 64 bits and XAMPP Windows 1.7.7.

Any help would be appreciated for this XAMPP newbie


Kind regards,
Arashi.

[Sharley]

Hello Arashi,
If Apache and MySQL don't start then you may not have uninstalled correctly your other versions before installing 1.7.7 or did you install over the top of the other version?

This post may help with uninstalling:
viewtopic.php?p=179699#p179699

When you extracted the 7z version did you run the setup_xampp.bat file in the xampp folder?

Double click on xampp-control-3.beta.exe in the xampp folder to start the new Control Panel3 as it has better error reporting in the log window.

Do you see green ticks in the service module column?

Also your \xampp\apache\logs\error.log file is useful for clue hunting.

[Arashi]

Hi Sharley,
I uninstalled the previous version completely then re-installed again.

As for setup_xampp.bat file, I haven't run it yet because I was confused as to whether I should run it or not, since the XAMPP website stated that:

Unzip the zip archives into the folder of your choice. XAMPP is extracting to the subdirectory "[Ziel]\xampp" below the selected target directory. Now start the file "setup_xampp.bat", to adjust the XAMPP configuration to your system.

If you choose a root directory "C:\" as target, you must not start "setup_xampp.bat".

I'm gonna try to run the setup_xampp.bat file and see what happens and let you know. Thanks Sharley.

[Sharley]

I really don't know why that part is still in there as you really do have to run the bat file.

The only time not to run it is after using an archive file when you install to a portable device like a USB drive - you don't need a full path if going portable.

You can't do any harm no matter how many time you run it.

Good luck.

[Arashi]

Okay, I have successfully installed XAMPP with your instructions but my problem now is this:

Code: Select all

3:53:24 PM  [apache]    Possible problem detected: Port 80 in use by "system"!

I checked that Skype isn't running. Is there a way for me to solve this problem?

[Arashi]

And oh, there's no green ticks at the service module column when I start mySQL. just a gray one though.

[Sharley]

'System' - this is more than likely Internet Information Service (IIS) the default Windows web server and it has to be disabled.

Clicking on the netstat button in the CP3 may show you what is using port 80 and 443.

I don't have Win7 but I know there is a few posts about how to disable it.
These search results may help

No green tick next to Apache?

So MySQL starts but Apache won't?

Is there any error.log file in the \xampp\apache\logs folder?

If after disabling IIS Apache still won't start try a reboot then let me know if it still won't start.
Thanks.

Best wishes.

[Arashi]

My XAMPP's working finely now! After I disabled the IIS through Windows Features, it solved the Apache problem ^_^ and when I first encountered the problem earlier on, I checked for errors, but it gave me a blank page on notepad. I suppose it doesn't have any errors to report yet. But anyway, thanks Sharley! You're a big help ^_^

Regarding the green ticks, is there suppose to be one? Because I only have the gray ticks on the service module column. Thanks again

[Sharley]

No tick is good and now you have started Apache you will see that log files have been created.

Let me know if they are not.

Best wishes.

[Arashi]

I've got this when checking the error log for Apache:

[Mon Oct 24 16:17:22 2011] [notice] Digest: generating secret for digest authentication ...
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:22 2011] [notice] Digest: done
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:25 2011] [notice] Apache/2.2.21 (Win32) mod_ssl/2.2.21 OpenSSL/1.0.0e PHP/5.3.8 mod_perl/2.0.4 Perl/v5.10.1 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:25 2011] [notice] Server built: Sep 10 2011 11:34:11
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:25 2011] [notice] Parent: Created child process 5668
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:26 2011] [notice] Digest: generating secret for digest authentication ...
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:26 2011] [notice] Digest: done
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:27 2011] [notice] Child 5668: Child process is running
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:27 2011] [notice] Child 5668: Acquired the start mutex.
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:27 2011] [notice] Child 5668: Starting 150 worker threads.
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:27 2011] [notice] Child 5668: Starting thread to listen on port 443.
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:27 2011] [notice] Child 5668: Starting thread to listen on port 80.
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:27 2011] [notice] Child 5668: Starting thread to listen on port 80.
[Mon Oct 24 16:17:27 2011] [notice] Child 5668: Starting thread to listen on port 443.

Is that how it's supposed to be?

[Sharley]

Excellent! that is the entries for a successful start.

Stop Apache and see what it puts in the log file when it shuts down correctly, you then can eliminate these entries when or if you have to troubleshoot Apache issues.

It looks like now you can move forward and enjoy your XAMPP.

Best wishes.

[Arashi]

I stopped Apache and checked the log files again, I got the same as the previous logs (I think since they all look the same ^^") but then I noticed this as I restarted Apache for the second time:

[Mon Oct 24 16:38:18 2011] [warn] pid file C:/xampp/apache/logs/httpd.pid overwritten -- Unclean shutdown of previous Apache run?

Does it mean that I can delete the previous logs inside the error log file if I happen to start Apache again? Like you stated?

And oh, an off the topic question, on the localhost/security/index.php page, what's the output if I choose http or cookie?

PhpMyAdmin authentification: http cookie

[Sharley]

Yes, that entry is entered because you closed Apache using the Control Panel and is a normal entry and of no consequence.

You can delete the log files any time you like but only when Apache is stopped as the files are in use until then.

If you select cookie then you will see the authentication panel user/pass in your browser.

If you use http then you will see a Windows pop up with the authentication details user/pass.

If you have any other issue then please start a new topic as I will mark this one solved and close the topic.

Best wishes Arashi and good luck.

[Arashi]

No further questions, you may mark this topic as solved Thanks again Shirley!

[Sharley]

Thanks for the feedback and thank you Arashi for making it easy for me to help you.

Best wishes.