I am having the same problem. It says there is no ERROR LOG shall we create one. I don't see an events log either.
10:36:58 PM [main] Initializing Control Panel
10:36:58 PM [main] Windows Version: Windows 8 64-bit
10:36:58 PM [main] XAMPP Version: 1.8.3
10:36:58 PM [main] Control Panel Version: 3.2.1 [ Compiled: May 7th 2013 ]
10:36:58 PM [main] You are not running with administrator rights! This will work for
10:36:58 PM [main] most application stuff but whenever you do something with services
10:36:58 PM [main] there will be a security dialogue or things will break! So think
10:36:58 PM [main] about running this application with administrator rights!
10:36:58 PM [main] XAMPP Installation Directory: "c:\_xampp\"
10:36:58 PM [main] Checking for prerequisites
10:36:58 PM [main] All prerequisites found
10:36:58 PM [main] Initializing Modules
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Initializing module...
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Checking for module existence...
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Checking for required tools...
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Checking for service (name="Apache2.4"): Service not installed
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Service Path: Service Not Installed
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Checking default ports...
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Portblocker Detected: System
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Checking for App: c:\_xampp\apache\bin\httpd.exe
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Portblocker Path: Unable to open process
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Portblocker Service Path:
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Problem detected!
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Port 80 in use by "Unable to open process" with PID 4!
10:36:58 PM [Apache] Apache WILL NOT start without the configured ports free!
10:36:58 PM [Apache] You need to uninstall/disable/reconfigure the blocking application
10:36:58 PM [Apache] or reconfigure Apache and the Control Panel to listen on a different port
10:36:58 PM [mysql] Initializing module...
10:36:58 PM [mysql] Checking for module existence...
10:36:58 PM [mysql] Checking for required tools...
10:36:58 PM [mysql] Checking for service (name="mysql"): Service not installed
10:36:58 PM [mysql] Service Path: Service Not Installed
10:36:58 PM [mysql] Checking default ports...
10:36:58 PM [filezilla] Initializing module...
10:36:58 PM [filezilla] Checking for module existence...
10:36:58 PM [filezilla] Checking for required tools...
10:36:58 PM [filezilla] Checking for service (name="FileZillaServer"): Service not installed
10:36:58 PM [filezilla] Service Path: Service Not Installed
10:36:58 PM [filezilla] Checking default ports...
10:36:58 PM [mercury] Initializing module...
10:36:58 PM [mercury] Checking for module existence...
10:36:58 PM [mercury] Checking for required tools...
10:36:58 PM [mercury] Checking default ports...
10:36:58 PM [Tomcat] Initializing module...
10:36:58 PM [Tomcat] Checking for module existence...
10:36:58 PM [Tomcat] Checking for required tools...
10:36:58 PM [Tomcat] Checking for service (name="Tomcat7"): Service not installed
10:36:58 PM [Tomcat] Service Path: Service Not Installed
10:36:58 PM [Tomcat] Checking default ports...
10:36:58 PM [main] Starting Check-Timer
10:36:58 PM [main] Control Panel Ready
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Checking default ports...
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Portblocker Detected: System
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Checking for App: c:\_xampp\apache\bin\httpd.exe
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Portblocker Path: Unable to open process
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Portblocker Service Path:
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Problem detected!
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Port 80 in use by "Unable to open process" with PID 4!
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Apache WILL NOT start without the configured ports free!
10:36:59 PM [Apache] You need to uninstall/disable/reconfigure the blocking application
10:36:59 PM [Apache] or reconfigure Apache and the Control Panel to listen on a different port
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Attempting to start Apache app...
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Executing "c:\_xampp\apache\bin\httpd.exe"
10:36:59 PM [Apache] Return code: 0
10:37:00 PM [Apache] Status change detected: running
10:37:00 PM [Apache] Status change detected: stopped
10:37:00 PM [Apache] Error: Apache shutdown unexpectedly.
10:37:00 PM [Apache] This may be due to a blocked port, missing dependencies,
10:37:00 PM [Apache] improper privileges, a crash, or a shutdown by another method.
10:37:00 PM [Apache] Press the Logs button to view error logs and check
10:37:00 PM [Apache] the Windows Event Viewer for more clues
10:37:00 PM [Apache] If you need more help, copy and post this
10:37:00 PM [Apache] entire log window on the forums
10:37:05 PM [main] Executing notepad.exe c:\_xampp\apache\logs\error.log
3:31:47 PM [Apache] Error: Apache shutdown unexpectedly.
3:31:47 PM [Apache] This may be due to a blocked port, missing dependencies,
3:31:47 PM [Apache] improper privileges, a crash, or a shutdown by another method.
3:31:47 PM [Apache] Press the Logs button to view error logs and check
3:31:47 PM [Apache] the Windows Event Viewer for more clues
3:31:47 PM [Apache] If you need more help, copy and post this
3:31:47 PM [Apache] entire log window on the forums
and the below log error for Apache.
I ran a search on my computer for a Windows Event Viewer and it does not seem to exist.