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Localhost unable to connect in Firefox

PostPosted: 06. May 2014 15:12
by KeswickPaul
Hiya,
I've been using XAMPP for weeks with no problems. Today, halfway through work it stops connecting to Firefox when I run a file through it. Localhost/xampp/ also doesn't load in the browser. After trying many things I uninstalled and reinstalled. After changing the 443 and 80 ports to 4433 and 8080 it worked OK. No problems. I then noticed that a blank command prompt was open. I closed it. From that moment I was then unable to connect to Firefox. So I uninstalled and reinstalled. The command prompt appeared again and as long as I didn't close it it worked fine.

Obviously this isn't a usuable situation. Everytime I start my computer I would need to uninstall and reinstall XAMPP.

I'm using Windows 7 64bit.

Please let me know if you need any more information. I'm working where I can't get an internet connection so if I can't get this to work then I can't work. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers
Paul

Re: Localhost unable to connect in Firefox

PostPosted: 13. May 2014 16:21
by KeswickPaul
Hi all,
Does anyone have any ideas about my problem above?

Today I closed the command prompt without exporting all the tables I'd created. Because the only way I can access PHPMyAdmin is to uninstall and reinstall XAMPP to get the coammand prompt back I've lost all my work. I'm runnning the same XAMPP version on the same operarting system on 2 computers. One has this problem and one doesn't. One needs to have the ports changed and one doesn't.

It's a mystery to me.

Cheers
Paul

Re: Localhost unable to connect in Firefox

PostPosted: 13. May 2014 18:37
by JJ_Tagy
The command prompt remaining open during installation is a bug. The installation package should stop apache and exit at the finish of installation. Since it doesn't, it keeps the ports locked if you try to open the control panel immediately after installation. You shouldn't change your ports because of it. I recommend stopping everything (including any apache/MySQL services), revert all the ports back to normal, and start troubleshooting from there.

Re: Localhost unable to connect in Firefox

PostPosted: 15. May 2014 15:16
by KeswickPaul
JJ_Tagy,
Thanks very much for the reply.

This morning I tried as you suggested. After XAMPP installed (and the command prompt appeared as usual) I stopped Apache and MySQL, exited the Control Panel and restarted XAMPP. Despite this Apache wouldn't start and told me that port 443 was in use. If I closed the command prompt the same error occured and I couldn't load anything in the browser.

Have you any suggestions as to where I start with your troubleshooting suggestion?

Cheers
Paul

Re: Localhost unable to connect in Firefox

PostPosted: 15. May 2014 15:37
by JJ_Tagy
Figure out what is using the ports. There is a button on the control panel or use your command prompt.

Re: Localhost unable to connect in Firefox

PostPosted: 17. May 2014 15:04
by KeswickPaul
Hiya,
I checked this morning and port 443 is used by httpd.exe.

I did some Googling and some posts are saying to go to task manager and stop httpd.exe. I'm not sure I want to do that until I understand a bit more about what httpd.exe does. I don't want to irreperably damage my computer by stopping something that I can't start again.

Where should I go next?

Thanks for all your help.
Paul

Re: Localhost unable to connect in Firefox

PostPosted: 17. May 2014 15:59
by JJ_Tagy
httpd is Apache. So most likely you installed it as a service from a previous installation or it didn't stop during installation. It is safe to stop and remove the service (if it is installed as a service).