mySQL won't start - tried everything I could find

[sarahrwlnd]

I cannot get mySQL to start in XAMPP. I've googled as much as I can and tried just about everything suggested and it won't start.

I've uninstalled IIS.
I've disabled My World Wide Web.
I've changed the default port from 3306 to 3307 in both the main file and the php.ini file. I tried port 3308.
I've uninstalled all SQL and mySQL programs and such through the Windows control panel restarting the computer after the uninstalls to make sure it completed.
I've double checked and there is no other mySQL that I can see on the system.
I've disabled firewalls and antivirus.

Now, there's been some progress. For instance, now it no longer gives me an error message, just gets stuck with "Attempting to start mySQL service..." and when I check the port it shows mysqld.exe running on that port. I'm assuming it's XAMPP sql trying to run (I've found it, disabled it, tried running sql through xampp again, and when I double check the port it's there again) but in the xampp control panel it never fully connects. When I run netstat it doesn't show that 3306 is even in use.

Any thoughts, everyone? I'm at my wit's end. Oh, and I'm a novice so easy to understand instructions, please.

Running XAMPP 5.6.12 and Windows 10

[Nobbie]

I cannot get mySQL to start in XAMPP. I've googled as much as I can and tried just about everything suggested and it won't start.

Unfortunately, you dont tell us the error message, instead a lot of useless "prosa". To make it even worse, you meanwhile changed lots of things, still not telling us any error message, what makes it even more difficult to help.

Can you un-install the whole thing and try to install from scratch? And then (please!) show us any error message, which appears.

[sarahrwlnd]

I don't get an error message, which I said in the original post. Maybe it got lost in the "prosa." I apologize.

I've uninstalled it
Reinstalled it
Clicked Start for SQL and it says "Attempting to start mySQL service..." but doesn't ever connect
I changed the port number from 3306 to 3307 in both my.ini and php.ini
Quit XAMPP
Opened XAMPP again
Clicked start with the same message, but >>no error message<<

There's no error message. It's just not starting.

[Altrea]

Did you check the mysql error log for any messages?
Did you check the windows event log (because you uses Windows Services) for any messages?

[sarahrwlnd]

No error message on mysql log.
Windows event log says: "The MySQL service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified."

[Altrea]

In which path did you Install MySQL?

[Nobbie]

"The MySQL service failed to start due to the following error:
The system cannot find the file specified."

Thats a big one. Obviously, you already have a service called "MYSQL" in your Windows Services, which yields to an invalid path. You probably had an old MySQL installation which was not de-installed carefully (and leaves an invalid Service in Windows).

That explains everything - MySQL cannot show any error log, as it is simply not found. Windows cannot start the appropriate file.

[sarahrwlnd]

In which path did you Install MySQL?

I'm not sure. How do I check?

[Nobbie]

How do I check?

There is no "check"; you definately should remember.

Otherwise run an explorer search for MySQL, but you cannot see, if that is an old installation or the new one.

[Altrea]

Please start the XAMPP control panel with enhanced administration rights (rightclick -> run as administrator) and show us all messages the control panel is showing you.

[sarahrwlnd]

Please start the XAMPP control panel with enhanced administration rights (rightclick -> run as administrator) and show us all messages the control panel is showing you.

This is upon start up with admin rights and clicking start for mySQL:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8KJCli48yqsZVZzdVdaMTFEV0k/view?usp=sharing

This is when I look for error log in XAMPP:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8KJCli48yqsaVhtQ1lLaG5peGM/view?usp=sharing

[Nobbie]

It is as as i suspected above: you already installed MySQL before, there is an installation in C:/Program Files/MySQL/MySQL Server 5.1

I cannot see, if you already tried to uninstall that MySQL installation, but anyway, it probably failed to uninstall and leaves an invalid WIndows Service "MySQL". Go into the WIndows Services (that is an option in the Windows System Setup) and delete that Service.

At next, on your Windows Installation there is already Microsoft IIS installed (that is the Microsoft Program, which is a Webserver similar to Apache), which starts before your Xampp starts and blocks the Ports 80 and 443, which are required by Apache. You should deinstall this Microsoft Package, you dont need it and it blocks Xampp Apache.

Finally, you should install Xampp again, after you have removed all these blocking software products. I dont know, why you dont remember the old MySQL Installation, but you must have installed it before and without any doubt.