PhpMyAdmin is unreachable

[bristols]

I am unable to load PhpMyAdmin in my browser using a clean, default-options, unchanged install of XAMPP version 1.7.3 on Windows XP Pro SP3. C:\XAMPP is the root directory. My firewall and on-access scanner was disabled for the whole process.

I can access the localhost/XAMPP start screen. But I cannot go to any PhpMyAdmin page, neither by the sidebar link to PhpMyAdmin on the XAMPP start page, nor by typing http://localhost/phpmyadmin into my browser's address bar. Nothing is shown - the browser tries endlessly to load the page. I get no password prompt, nothing.

After installation I started Apache and MySQL from the XAMPP control panel. Both are shown there to be running. Most of (but not all) the Demo links in the XAMPP localhost index page sidebar apparently work.

I have not installed any server previously in this Operating System. I have not altered the username (root) and password ([none given]). In fact I have not edited any XAMPP file manually whatsoever.

I have not altered XP's Hosts file or knowingly done anything to cause this.

I have indeed searched the forums. No suggestion to other posters has worked for me.

Any ideas about what's causing this? Help greatly appreciated!

[bristols]

No-one has any ideas? Or will not share them?

Then please at least confirm or dismiss my noob suggestions.

For example, could it be the paths to files? How would I check, bearing in mind that this installation uses the default options?

Perhaps XP requires some service to be running and/or a particular Windows system component to be installed. Are there any that, if not present, will prevent PhPMyAdmin from running?

OK, then could anyone confirm that PhpMyAdmin installed via XAMPP should just work 'out of the box' (with a default install)?

If for some reason I cannot get PhpMyAdmin to work via this XAMPP installation, could anyone suggest my next best move? My goal is to run a local version of Wordpress.

Thanks for looking at this and for any advice. I'm new to XAMPP and to most things server-related.

[Wiedmann]

Most of (but not all) the Demo links in the XAMPP localhost index page sidebar apparently work

.
Which ones do not work?

[bristols]

The demos that do not work are:

- CDCollection
- ADOdb

The rest seem to be working.

[Wiedmann]

Is MySQL running?

[bristols]

MySQL is running according to the XAMPP control panel. In my process explorer, the location is shown:

C:\xampp\mysql\bin\mysqld.exe

Apache is also running, of course. I notice that there are two Apache processes, not just one. Both are located here:

C:\xampp\apache\bin\httpd.exe

Is that normal?

[Wiedmann]

MySQL is running according to the XAMPP control panel.

Can you connect to MySQL with the MySQL command line client?

I notice that there are two Apache processes, ... Is that normal?

Yes.

[bristols]

Can you connect to MySQL with the MySQL command line client?

I'm not 100% sure which EXE is the command line client, but I tried these commands from a prompt:

mysql /help
mysql /r
mysqld /help
mysqld /r

The last two commands produced no result and simply put me back to the prompt. Wrong EXE I guess.
The first two 'froze' the prompt - the cursor returned to a new line, but without the directory path, disallowing me to type further. This meant that I had to close the command box and start another.

(Apologies for any imprecise use of jargon)

[bristols]

Can you connect to MySQL with the MySQL command line client?

OK. Please can you tell me how to do that?