Cannot get Xampp to access existing MySQL

[pzh20]

I've had MySQL running on my machine for many years, and used to use ISS for local development, especially when developing in .ASP
Now I only develop in PHP so have moved to Xampp. However, I want it to connect to my existing MySQL install and have spent days trying to get it to work.

Doesn't matter what I do, I cannot get the Xampp control panel to recognise that MySQL is already running. It seems to be trying to start MySQL from it's directory as follows

"10:13:45 [mysql] Attempting to start MySQL app...
10:13:45 [mysql] Executing ""c:\xampp\mysql\bin\mysqld.exe" --defaults-file="c:\xampp\mysql\bin\my.ini" --standalone"
10:13:45 [mysql] Return code: 0
"
If I open localhost, and phpmyadmin, it accesses MySQL fine
I'm trying to use the Bitnami wordpress install, but it fails with "The installer was not able to connect to the MySQL server. Check it is running"

Any ideas I might not have tried, excluding, changing the port, done it, stopping and starting the services manually, done it etc etc.

[Nobbie]

Doesn't matter what I do, I cannot get the Xampp control panel to recognise that MySQL is already running.

Yes, of course NOT.

Do NOT(!) start Xampps MySQL, if you already have another MySQL installation. Simply start your existing MySQL installation and Xampps Apache. The MySQL Server is connected via TCPIP (Port 3306). Anyway, do not use the Bitnami WordPress installer. Instead download the normal WordPress package from WordPress and run the installation procedure as documented. Your servername is "localhost".

[pzh20]

ok, thanks