axiomcs wrote:What do you mean "restore everything after"? What is considered "everything", i.e. db, config files, content (did I miss anything?)?
Yes, everything means everything, HTML files, PHP Scripts, .htaccess files, MySQL Databases, PHP configuration (i.e. php.ini), MySQL configuration, Apache configuration (httpd.conf and subsequent includes) and and and - everything you did to run your site. Actually you are running Xampp as an Onlline Server, we do not support that. Xampp is meant as development environment only.
axiomcs wrote:What happens to my db since it is MySQL and now the latest xampp is MariaDB? Does it get translated by some utility? Does it just drop in?
You have to export your databases into a *.sql format (which means, you get an export file with tons of SQL statements) and after you have to import these files. By doing so, your data is converted if needed, actually i dont know if MySQL and MariaDB have different binary storage.
axiomcs wrote:Since this website is apachefriends.org, does it involve assistance wherever apache is in use
No. This website supports Xampp only.