apache in xampp won't turn on - after it worked before

Question

I recently installed Xampp on my windows machine. It worked when I just did it, see here. However, now the apache won't turn on. I realize that I did not close it correctly (did not use xampp_stop), so maybe that could be the cause.

The error I am getting is:

    make_sock: could not bind to address 0.0.0.0:80 
    no listening sockets available, shutting down 
    unable to open logs 

How can I get it to work?

Answer 1

Just ran into this very well do documented blog with respect to Apache not working.. I think its really good to reference if you have apache startup issues.

apache friends

here are the steps that i note from the link:

• Check that xampp folder is not in a folder containing spaces or brackets ie (Program Files (x86)
• Make sure that you have run \xampp\setup_xampp.bat (probably as administrator)
• in CMD run -netstat -a (or look in Xampp control beta 3 - and press the netstat button... ) , make sure that nothing is running on port 80 ( on win 7 a lot of the time its actually skype that uses port 80) ( quit skype and try again, if so, in skype --> options ->> advanced --> make sure the "use port 80 as alternative checkbox is unchecked"
• If "system" is using port 80, then its windows that is using it ( i have read that that is some IIS service) - if you enable xampp as a service and re-boot then xampp grabs port 80 before system...
• If you dont want to run as a service then open xampp\apache\conf\http.conf and change the port that apache will run on (search for string "Listen 80" and "ServerName localhost:80" and change 80 to something else eg: "180")
• Make sure you are running Xampp control.exe as administrator
• Stop your firewall temporarily to see if its being stopped (then try startup apache again) if so, create an exception in windows firewall
• Check that your anti-virus is not stopping it.
• If you are running windows 7 64 bit ultimate (sp1) (like i am) - then you may still have a problem (like i am)
• last try is to delete xampp folder, and download a previous version of xampp, then try again.

If you have any other steps that you think may also cause a problem, please comment.

Answer 2

I ended up solving it. Go to the Xampp control panel. Check the "Service" check box. Clicked on "SCM" button. (Or "Service" button, there on the "SCM" button).
Then I clicked on the "Apache" in the list of services. Turned it on.
Now it is labelled as "Running" in the control panel, and "localhost" works.