Update: Seems something in Adobe CS5 may have been consuming Port 80.
Not sure which specific start-up processes I UNCHECKED (about a half-dozen) but once I did so, Apache was functioning.
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Cannot get Apache to run.
I did not uninstall Skype (but unchecked port 80/443 as backup ports).
I paused Kaspersky Anti-Virus incl Network tools during the install & afterward. (also granted all related Xampp & Apache modules FULL permissions)
Odd thing is, Xampp Apache DID work (same 1.77 version) on an earlier install.
Now only MySql is running.
Update: Installed the latest Control Panel (from v3.02 > 3.11) I get this error in the panel:
11:24:02 AM [main] Initializing Control Panel
11:24:02 AM [main] Windows Version: Windows 7 Professional SP1 64-bit
11:24:02 AM [main] XAMPP Version: 1.7.7
11:24:02 AM [main] Control Panel Version: 3.0.11 [ Compiled: December 7th 2011 ]
11:24:02 AM [main] You are not running with administrator rights! This will work for most application stuff but whenever you do something with services there will be a security dialogue or things will break! So think about running this application w/admin rights!
11:24:02 AM [main] XAMPP Installation Directory: "c:\xampp\"
11:24:02 AM [main] Initializing Modules
11:24:02 AM [apache] Possible problem detected!
11:24:02 AM [apache] Port 80 in use by "system"!
11:24:02 AM [main] Starting Check-Timer
11:24:02 AM [main] Control Panel Ready
I did restart the new Control Panel w/Admin Rights and still have an issue with Apache
...
11:28:28 AM [apache] Possible problem detected!
11:28:28 AM [apache] Port 80 in use by "system"!
11:28:28 AM [main] Enabling autostart for module "apache"
11:28:28 AM [main] Enabling autostart for module "mysql"
11:28:28 AM [main] Starting Check-Timer
11:28:28 AM [main] Control Panel Ready
11:28:29 AM [apache] Autostart active: starting...
11:28:29 AM [apache] Starting apache app...
11:28:29 AM [mysql] Autostart active: starting...
11:28:29 AM [mysql] Starting mysql app...
11:28:29 AM [mysql] Status change detected: running
11:28:35 AM [apache] Starting apache app...