http://localhost displays IIS7 but 127.0.0.1 displays XAMPP

[AlanF00]

Hi,

I just installed XAMPP 7.3.0. After the installer popped up the Control Panel,
it contained a message like:
[Apache] Port 80 in use by "Unable to open process" with PID 4!

Here is my debugging information:

XAMPP for Windows 7.3.0
xampp-win32-7.3.0-0-VC15-installer.exe
Windows 7 Pro 64 bit
All Microsoft updates installed
XAMPP installation path: C:\xampp\
No scripts executed

After I got the above message, I researched it and found that most likely
it was Microsoft's Internet Information Service that was the problem. When
I typed http://localhost into a browser window, I got a large display with
the logo IIS7. After more research I found out how to disable IIS7 in the
Windows Control Panel. Still got the IIS7 display. I restarted Windows, and
still got the IIS7 display. However, in another browser window I typed in the
numerical URL 127.0.0.1 and got the XAMPP welcome page.

In the XAMPP Control Panel I can start and stop Apache, MySQL, Mercury and
Tomcat (FileZilla is not installed). It displays many messages, including:
4:40:10 AM [Apache] XAMPP Apache is already running on port 80
4:40:10 AM [Apache] XAMPP Apache is already running on port 443

Any clue what's going on?

[Altrea]

Hi,

If i would guess than your IIS is listening on the IPv6 address ::1 port 80 or your localhost is mapped to a different IP address.
That are the only possibilities why http://localhost is leading to a different site than http://127.0.0.1.

best wishes,
Altrea

[AlanF00]

If i would guess than your IIS is listening on the IPv6 address ::1 port 80 or your localhost is mapped to a different IP address.

Thanks! But I used the instructions here:
https://helpdeskgeek.com/windows-7/turn-on-microsoft-internet-information-services-in-windows-7/
to turn off IIS7. That gets you to a "Windows Features" checkbox pane labeled "Turn Windows features on or off".
A little ways down in the pane is a check box for "Internet Information Services", which I unchecked. The system
popped up a message something like "working on it" which gave me the impression that IIS7 is now stopped.
I don't enough about Windows 7 to verify that IIS7 is actually disabled.

That are the only possibilities why http://localhost is leading to a different site than http://127.0.0.1.

Any idea how I might resolve that? Of course, both of those are not regular websites, but are just server functions,
right? One server being IIS7 and the other Apache.

Alternatively, I'm brand new with XAMPP (but not html and php) and don't know what to expect. I have a book by
Murach on php and MySQL that directs you how to install and use XAMPP, and am setting things up to do the exercises.
Is there an issue for XAMPP with respect to your above observation?

[AlanF00]

Well, my problem seems to have gone away by itself. Now both localhost and 127.0.0.1 bring up the XAMPP welcome page, so I guess it's all good.