local host connect issues

[rijo6920]

I need some advice on how to fix a problem I'm having when trying to access my local joomla website. Here's a summary of what I did and what is happening:
1. I am trying to upgrade from 1.5.15 to 1.5.23 by first doing the upgrade on my local Windows XP system.
2. The plan was to eventually upgrade all the way to Joomla 1.6 and then 1.7.
3. Upgrade information stated that I needed to update my XAMPP apps, i.e Apache and MySQL, in order to be compatible with 1.6 and 1.7
4. So I downloaded and installed XAMPP 1.7.4 using the intaller. I first deleted the C:\xampp folder.
5. I then completed a successful install of XAMPP 1.7.4 with Apache and MySQL running. All status was good.
6. Then, I proceeded with successful install of Joomla 1.5.23 and everything worked fine at this stage. I was able to login to the Joomla Admin successfully using localhost/sitename.
7. Now here is where I think I got into trouble.
8. Using a SQL backup file from my host provider, I restored the content of my existing public/production Joomla website to the Joomla 1.5.23 version of my local site.
9. I could no longer access my local site using 'localhost/sitename'. But, I could access using '127.0.0.1/sitename'. I see no errors in the Apache error.log file.
10. Something does not appear to be configured correctly. With localhost not working, it appears this is causing other issues with finding files in the c:\xampp\htdocs\sitename path.
11. My images are not being displayed and I get this error on the front end: 'Could not find folder C:\xampp\htdocs\sitename/images/stories/...'
12. Al the titles and labels in the administration pages are preceded with dots and end in dots: •Global Configuration• •Site Settings• •Metadata Settings•
13. I don't recall seeing this in joomla 1.5.15
14. I have searched the Joomla forum, Apache forum, and call Microsoft support for help with no resolve.
15. I did not alter my Windows host file.
15. When I enter 'localhost/sitename I get the following as though I did a search for localhost:

localhost - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
In computer networking, localhost (meaning this computer) is the standard hostname given to the address of the loopback network interface. The name is also a ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Localhost

127.0.0.1 - Localhost IP Address
127.0.0.1 is an reserved IPv4 address. 127.0.0.1 is a special purpose address conventionally used as a computer's loopback address.
compnetworking.about.com/od/workingwithipaddresses/g/12... compnetworking.about.com/od/workingwithipaddresses/g/127_0_0_1_def.htm

Localhost connection issues list - IISLogs.com
Mar 17, 2007 ... There have been a variety of posts stating, I can't browse Localhost or http://127.0 .0.1 There has not been any pattern to resolve it. This post is ...
www.iislogs.com/steveschofield/localhos ... tion-iss... www.iislogs.com/steveschofield/localhos ... ssues-list

SitePoint: Glossary
Localhost: "Localhost" is an alias for the address 127.0.0.1, an address that always indicates the local computer. This is the address that a computer can use to ...
www.sitepoint.com/glossary.php%3Fq%3DL www.sitepoint.com/glossary.php?q=L

LocalHost -- Local Host
LocalHost -- Enhance my Chances, Local Host Cheap Hosting from your Local Host, Local hosting from Enhance my Chances.
localhost.r8.org/

Things I have tried:
1. complete uninstall and intall of XAMPP 1.7.4 and Joomla 1.7.4 and SQL import using phpMyAdmin several times - no luck
2. uninstall and reinstall virus protection - no luck
3. uninstall and reinstall IE8 - no luck
4. port 80 is not being used by any other program.

Can someone help start a dialog with me to help resolve this localhost connection issue?

[Sharley]

6. Then, I proceeded with successful install of Joomla 1.5.23 and everything worked fine at this stage. I was able to login to the Joomla Admin successfully using localhost/sitename.
7. Now here is where I think I got into trouble.
8. Using a SQL backup file from my host provider, I restored the content of my existing public/production Joomla website to the Joomla 1.5.23 version of my local site.
9. I could no longer access my local site using 'localhost/sitename'. But, I could access using '127.0.0.1/sitename'. I see no errors in the Apache error.log file.
10. Something does not appear to be configured correctly.

I agree because the version of Joomla at your hosted service will be different to your local Joomla version.

Your Hosts file is not the issue as it worked before you imported the sql file.

You will have to go through your configurations in Joomla using the installation instruction of your new version and diligently examine all settings for anomalies - do you have a backup of your earlier versions of Joomla that may also help?

There are a few experienced Joomla users visit the forums and you may be lucky enough to find someone who can pinpoint your issue, but please be aware that this is not a Joomla support forum but, as you know, an XAMPP support forum.

In that case I believe your XAMPP installation is working as it should as you have pointed out that fact.

Best wishes and good luck with it

[ee950657]

I discovered that my.ini of XAMPP 1.74/1.75 is missing line 43 when I installed XAMPP 1.76.
If you use my.ini of XAMPP 1.74/1.75, please enter this code in line 43:

bind-address="127.0.0.1"

Code: Select all

 # The MySQL server
[mysqld]
port= 3306
socket= "C:/xampp/mysql/mysql.sock"
basedir="C:/xampp/mysql"
tmpdir="C:/xampp/tmp"
datadir="C:/xampp/mysql/data"
pid_file="mysql.pid"
skip-external-locking
key_buffer = 16M
max_allowed_packet = 1M
table_cache = 64
sort_buffer_size = 512K
net_buffer_length = 8K
read_buffer_size = 256K
read_rnd_buffer_size = 512K
myisam_sort_buffer_size = 8M
log_error="mysql_error.log"
bind-address="127.0.0.1"

If you can't understand my saying, please upgrade to 1.76/1.77 from 1.74/1.75.
In these latest versions, this bug was fixed.

[Sharley]

That line in 1.7.7 is commented out so if it is required it will need to be uncommented to use it.

Code: Select all

#bind-address="127.0.0.1"

to

Code: Select all

bind-address="127.0.0.1"

Remember if you edit the my.ini file to save it and then restarts MySQL

[rijo6920]

Everyone thanks for the suggestions, however, the recommendation to add the bind address to the my.ini file did not work. Another suggestion from my forum searches suggested that I uninstall the firewall to see if that fixes the problem. So, I will try to uninstall the windows firewall and the McAfee firewall if it has one.

[rijo6920]

Uninstalling virus protection and firewall did not work. I'm at a lost now. Nothing seems to fix my problem. It's got to be something simple. It works when I replace localhost with 127.0.0.1. Anymore ideas...anyone? I'm about ready to do another reinstall of everything to see if I missed something. If this fails, I may have to reinstall my Windows operating system which is a major task.

[Sharley]

Try another install method if you go down that track or you may just incurr the same results.

Here is a post that may help you do this:
viewtopic.php?p=179699#p179699

Good luck.

[JonB]

just for grins - take a look in your hosts file.

If it does not have a line that says (directly)

127.0.0.1 localhost

then add that line --

BTW - did I miss what windows version you are on???

[rijo6920]

Ms. Sharley - I tried the suggestions provided in the post about the "port 80" issues and none of them fixed my problem. So, I completed uninstalled XAMPP. Before resinstalling XAMPP, I entered "http://localhost" in my browser (no apache server running of course) and I got the same results. "localhost" could not be resolved.

I tried it with Firefox and got this message:

Unable to connect
Firefox can't establish a connection to the server at localhost.

Looks like Firefox at least tries to do a server connection.

Anyway, I think this is a Windows XP problem since this problem happens even when apache is not running and I am seriously considering a complete operating system reinstall.

[rijo6920]

Okay here's an update. I completely uninstalled XAMPP and reinstalled XAMPP. I entered http://localhost/ but nothing came up except the seach list for "localhost". The "XAMPP" screen to prompt for the language was suppose to display but it did not. I then installed Joomla 1.5.23. I entered http://localhost/sitename and only displayed the seach list for "localhost". So, I used the Firefox browser and everything worked successfully as it is supposed to. Now, my question is, why does Firefox work and Internet Explorer does not? I never had a problem with IE before. At this point I feel I have exhausted all options unless someone can tell me how to fix IE to fix my problem. I have already tried a reinstall of IE. I'm going to reinstall my OS with Windows 7. I'm sure this will clearup whatever issue I'm having with IE.

[Sharley]

An IE setting somewhere that has been set that is affecting this.

Check in the File menu that Work Offline is not selected.

Other than that it would be impossible for us to know how your IE is set up.

Good luck again.