localhost xampp page vanished

[AngelinaC]

First I'd like to say thank you for such an excellent product overall. I installed xampp for Vista easily and was off and running and have no background whatsoever in dealing with servers. This is my first experience and you have made it so easy with your product. I am a student and have created a number of sites, but not for money yet. I wanted to say thank you. Hope to be a contributor if this turns to any money!

I found a similar post but for windows xp and vista turned out to be so challenging to install anything even when I am logged in as administrator, I have begun a new post for that reason. I never had install problems with XP like vista has been and it kept me from installing other peoples server software until I found Apache Friends.


The nice yellow and orange control panel simply vanished. I haven't accessed it often, but to create the database which I worked with from there in another program.

HELP!! I just used to type "localhost" and viola! The control panel to phpmyadmin as well as a number of other features. To my knowledge I have been careful not to delete any files of this install, though I do save files into the "htdocs" directory and that is it.


Should I consider a new install? What I see is now just a directory structure of htdocs folder.

I would appreciate any assistance. The install and use was so easy, I barely remember the install.

If I have to reinstall the xampp, it seems moving the files in the htdocs directory is all I need to do to preserve my work I have already created?

Thanks in advance.

[Izzy]

To my knowledge I have been careful not to delete any files of this install, though I do save files into the "htdocs" directory and that is it.

Did you add your own index.php file into the htdocs folder which may have overwritten the XAMPP index.php file?

Try http://localhost/xampp and see if the XAMPP Welcome Page loads (The nice yellow and orange control panel).

Should I consider a new install? What I see is now just a directory structure of htdocs folder.

If all there is in the xampp installation folder is the htdocs folder and nothing else then you are in trouble as something has deleted all the remaining 17 folders so I guess in that case an uninstall and then a fresh installed would be needed - but don't overwrite the existing xampp folder but rather delete it and then install afresh.

If I have to reinstall the xampp, it seems moving the files in the htdocs directory is all I need to do to preserve my work I have already created?

Only copy your files and folders you created not the XAMPP files or folders if doing an reinstall and make a backup of any database files by Exporting them using phpMyAdmin.
http://localhost/phpmyadmin.

TIP
Instead of deleting the current xampp folder drag it and at the same time hold down the Ctrl key to create a Copy of xampp folder then proceed to install again.

This will allow you to copy over to the new installation any of your own files without losing them but don't copy over any XAMPP files or configuration files but rather edit the new install configuration files if needed.