ATTENTION: This has an odd workaround solution. See page 4, second post for solution steps.
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I had an old copy of xampp (installer version) and needed to get more recent. I thought I would try and run two versions of xampp by keeping my old one local and the new one on an external drive, but xampp didn't like that, so I exported all my databases and completely removed (as far as I know) both installations.
I am now installing xampp 1.5.3a in the local root (c:\). I used the 7-zip package as I DO NOT want to run xampp or any of it's components as a service. Documentation says you don't need to run the setup-xampp.bat file if the installation is in the root, but I did it anyway (it can't hurt).
I can now start and stop Apache fine using the control panel, but when I try and start MySQL, the button quickly "start"s and then immediately "stop"s on its own. I realize this might mean there's a daemon running already, but when I check the Task Manager, there's no mysqld-exe nor mysqld-nt.exe in the list. Also, when I click the Services button in the control panel, none of the service check boxes are checked.
Now here's the two odd parts, but probably the clues for you, Izzy:
First, when I click the MySQL button to start it up as described above, the button doesn't change (and no green status indicator appears for "Running") yet in the status box underneath the buttons is says that MySQL has started. I cannot apparently turn it off again. I've tried using the .bat files in the root xampp folder to start/stop MySQL manually, but that has no effect on things. In any case, when I try and open phpMyAdmin, is says the server is not responding so MySQL must not really be running even though the control panel says it is.
Second, and I don't know if this has anything to do with anything at all, but it's odd nevertheless...when I'm in the Settings area of the control panel, I notice that the path to the services.exe file (which I'm assuming/hoping I'm not needing anyway) is pointing to my user account in Documents and Settings; in other words at c:\Documents and Settings\user. Now, I have never installed xampp at that location, so I don't understand that. Also, I am logged in as administrator (always) so that shouldn't be the issue.
The only thing I can think of but don't know how to check is if there are some xampp files from the old, original installer version still sitting around in the PC's registry. I wanted to avoid such nonsense, but maybe I didn't. What would be the names of the files I would check for, and where exactly would I look?
Any other ideas are warmly and greatly appreciated.