XAMPP is one of the easiest ways to run a web server and database on your Windows machine. One of its best features is that it comes as a portable app, meaning you don’t need to install anything—just unzip and run! In this blog post, I’ll walk you through how to get XAMPP up and running on your Windows computer, troubleshooting common issues, and fixing them.
Setting Up XAMPP
First, I will extract the XAMPP folder from the archive and copy it to a folder I created named “two” in the root of my C drive. XAMPP contains three executables: two for starting and stopping the server from the command line, and a control applet that provides a graphical interface.
However, when you try to launch the server for the first time, you might encounter several error messages in popup windows. These are typically related to missing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable packages, which need to be installed to fix the issue. Here’s how you can do that.
Installing Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables
To resolve these errors, you’ll need to install the Visual C++ Redistributables on your Windows machine. I usually use a cumulative package from websites like TechPowerUp, which includes all versions in one package.
Important: Make sure to unzip the file before running the installation process. Do not run the installer directly from the archive. Once you unzip the package, run the “install_all.bat” file. You may have to accept a User Account Control (UAC) prompt several times during the process. After installation, you’ll have all the redistributables—both 32-bit and 64-bit—installed on your machine.
Once installed, it’s a good idea to reboot your system to ensure everything is applied correctly. However, after rebooting, you may still encounter errors when you try to run the XAMPP control panel.
Common Errors and How to Fix Them
If you’re still facing issues after installing the redistributables, there are a few common solutions you can try. Let’s go over them one by one, as some of these might work in certain situations.
1. Improper Privileges
One of the first pieces of advice you’ll come across when troubleshooting this issue is to run XAMPP as an administrator. While this is a common solution, it’s not always the best one.
In a normal working system, nothing should require administrative privileges. If a program requires elevated privileges to run, it’s a sign that something might be wrong with your Windows installation or that the software itself could be problematic.
In my case, running XAMPP as an administrator didn’t solve the issue, so I moved on to the next possible solution.
2. Deleting MySQL Files
Another solution for MySQL-related errors is to delete the MySQL data folder inside the XAMPP directory. However, be sure to back up any important databases before doing this. In my case, since this was a fresh installation with no databases, I felt safe deleting the file. Unfortunately, this didn’t resolve the issue.
3. Blocked Port
Some errors you may encounter are related to blocked ports. These errors are often accompanied by advice to disable your Windows firewall or any other firewall software you’re using. While this is an easy fix, it doesn’t really make sense in this situation since XAMPP uses local ports for its web server and database.
In fact, firewalls usually won’t affect local connections between your machine and XAMPP, so turning off the firewall didn’t help in this case either.
4. Port Collision
Another common fix relates to port collisions—where another program might be using the same port that XAMPP needs. For example, many web servers use port 80, while secure connections use port 443. One popular program that often conflicts with XAMPP is Skype.
The XAMPP control panel comes with a utility called “Netstat,” which allows you to view all the ports in use. You can use this tool to check if there’s a conflict. In my case, I found that the necessary ports were not in use, and shutting down other programs like Skype didn’t solve the problem.
Even though Apache seemed to work fine with its port configuration, the MySQL database was still encountering issues, likely due to different port configurations. But that still didn’t solve the problem in this particular case.
The Real Cause: Incorrect Paths
After going through all the possible solutions, I carefully read the errors in the terminal window when running the XAMPP start file. It became clear that the software couldn’t find the required directories, and I noticed something important: the paths were inconsistent. Some paths used forward slashes, while others used backslashes.
This was a key insight: Apache and MySQL were originally designed for Linux and, while they can run on Windows, they still follow Linux file system conventions. The issue was that XAMPP couldn’t find the correct paths because I had placed the folder in a subfolder (named “two”) in the root of my C drive.
The Simple Fix: Move the XAMPP Folder
To resolve this issue, I decided to move the XAMPP folder from its current location to the root of my C drive. So, instead of being in C:\two\xampp, I moved it to C:\xampp.
Before moving the folder, make sure to close all XAMPP control panels. Don’t just close them by clicking the “X” button, as the program will still run in the background. Right-click on the XAMPP icon in the system tray and select “Exit” to fully quit the application.
Once the folder was moved, I ran the XAMPP control panel again from the new location. This time, when I pressed “Start” on both Apache and MySQL, they launched without any issues!
Conclusion
To summarize, here’s how I fixed the issues with XAMPP on Windows:
Install the required Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributables.
If you still get errors, try running XAMPP as an administrator (though this is not always necessary).
Check for any MySQL or Apache-related issues with ports or missing files.
The most important fix: Move the XAMPP folder to the root of your system drive (e.g., C:\xampp).
By following these steps, you should be able to resolve any issues with XAMPP on your Windows machine and get your server running smoothly.