Initial steps:
-Loading http://localhost or http://127.0.0.1 in browser results to error or page cant be found. This means XAMPP services is not started successfully
-Ctrl + Alt +Del or the Task Manager, then checking on Services or Processes, verified that indeed apache is not running, although mysql is
- Checked on portcheck (alternatively in command prompt c:\xampp-portcheck.exe), and verified that another service is already using port 80, being the standard port apache will be using
- Verified also the listening sockets and ports by running netap -ao (c:\netap -ao) which will basically output a summary of listening sockets and ports currently in use by machine
Next Steps:
-Since port 80 is in use, try assigning port 81 to apache. This is done by editing and saving the file C:\xampp\apache\conf\httpd.conf:
Find these lines and change 80 to 81:
#Listen 12.34.56.78:80
Listen 80
Also find:
# If your host doesn't have a registered DNS name, enter its IP address here.
#
ServerName localhost:80
-Restart XAMPP services, try loading localhost in browser; and/or Restart PC then check again
-Also verify the ff. settings in xampp's control manager c:\xampp\xampp-control.exe:
1. Modules > Apache and MySQL is running, or
2. Click Service Button > Check Run XAMPP Control Panel as a Service > Check Apache and MySQL
3. In same Service Settings dialogue box, verify these as running in C:\xampp\service.exe apache mysql.
4. Try restart of PC
-By this time, XAMPP shall be running in full mode, if not also check XAMPP's SCM (also in xampp-control.exe or Window's Control Panel > Services) and verify from the list if Apache and MySQL is running. Try Restart from here.
- Also while in here, verify IIS is not running. This is commonly the conflicting service with Apache.
Hope this helps, for anyone googling the problem out there. This is more for my reference than anything else :D
