How to Download, Install, and Use XAMPP on Windows

Download Article

Learn how to use XAMPP to develop your website offline

Co-authored by Tyrone Showers and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: November 9, 2024 Fact Checked

Download Article

Downloading and Installing

|

Using XAMPP

|

Troubleshooting

|

Expert Interview

|

Q&A

|

Tips

|

Warnings

XAMPP is a free and open-source server manager program that allows you to run Apache, MySQL, MariaDB, PHP, Perl, and more on your local computer. Web developers and students use it to build and test PHP and MySQL websites on their local computers before going live on a public server. It is super easy to install and get started with. This wikiHow article teaches you how to install XAMPP on a Windows computer with expert tips from technologist Tyrone Showers.

Quick Steps

Download XAMPP from ApacheFriends.org.
Double-click the installation file in your Downloads folder.
Click Next on the start page.
Select the components you want to install and click Next.
Select an installation location and click Next.
Select your language and click Next.
Click Finish when the installation is done.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Downloading and Installing

Download Article

Go to https://www.apachefriends.org/index.html in your computer's web browser.
2
Click XAMPP for Windows. It's a grey button near the bottom of the page.
- Depending on your browser, you may first have to select a save location or verify the download.^{[1]
  X
  Research source}
- The file should start downloading automatically. If it does not, click where it says Click here at the top. Then click one of the download links.
Advertisement
3
Double-click the downloaded file. This file should be named something like xampp-windows-x64-8.2.12-0-VS16-installer.exe, or something similar. You can find it in your Downloads folder by default.
- If prompted to allow the XAMPP installer to make changes to your system, click Yes.
- You may have to click OK on a warning if you have User Account Control (UAC) activated on your computer.^{[2]
  X
  Research source}
It's at the bottom of the setup window.
5
Select components of XAMPP to install and click Next. By default, all XAMPP programs are included in the installation. Review the list of XAMPP attributes on the left side of the window; if you see an attribute you don't want to install as part of XAMPP, uncheck its box. Click Next when you are finished.
- The components include an Apache server, a MySQL database, FileZilla FTP server, a Mercury Mail Server, Apache Tomcat, PHP, Perl, PHPMyAdmin, Webalizer, and Fake Sendmail.
- Apache and PHP cannot be unchecked.
6
Select an installation location and click Next. Click the folder-shaped icon to the right of the current installation destination, select a folder to install XAMPP in, and click Ok.
- If your computer has the UAC activated, avoid installing XAMPP in your hard drive's folder (e.g., OS (C:)').
- You can select a folder (e.g., Desktop) and then click Make New Folder to create a new folder and select it as the installation destination.
- The default installation location is "C:\XAMPP."
Use the drop-down menu to select your language. Then click Next in the lower-right corner.
8
Begin installing XAMPP. Click Next at the bottom of the window to do so. XAMPP will begin installing its files into the folder that you selected.
- If you run into any problems while trying to install XAMPP, you may need to disable your antivirus protection temporarily.
9
Click Finish when prompted. It's at the bottom of the XAMPP window. Doing so will close the window and open the XAMPP Control Panel, which is where you'll access your servers.
- XAMPP will launch on its own after you finish the installation.
EXPERT TIP

Tyrone Showers
Technologist
Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

Tyrone Showers
Technologist

After installation, an Apache web server can be started from the XAMPP Control Panel. Make sure you change the default port (80) in the 'httpd.conf' file within the 'apache/conf' directory

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Using XAMPP

Download Article

1
Start the XAMPP Control Panel as an administrator. You may run into some errors when trying to start certain programs that come with XAMPP. To avoid problems, you should run XAMPP as an administrator. Make sure you are signed into a Windows account with administrative privileges. Then, use the following steps to open the XAMPP Control Panel as an administrator:
- Click the Windows Start button.
- Type "XAMPP".
- Right-click the XAMPP Control Panel.
- Click Run as Administrator.
- Click Yes when prompted.
You may see a red "X" in the checkboxes next to Apache, MySQL, FileZilla, Mercury, and Tomcat. Click the checkbox next to any of these programs you want to install, then click 'Yes when prompted. A green checkbox will appear next to the program once it is installed.
Once you have installed the module you want to use, click Start next to any of the programs you want to start running.
4
Click one of the Admin buttons to open the programs. You'll see the Admin button next to all installed programs in the XAMPP dashboard.
- Apache: Click Admin next to "Apache" to open the Apache dashboard. This will open a web page in your web browser that contains information about Apache, including How-to guides. Alternatively, you can type "localhost/dashboard/" into your web browser to open this page.
- MySQL: Click Admin next to "MySQL" to open the phpMyAdmin page for your local server. This is where you create and manage databases for your local server. Alternatively, you can type "localhost/phpmyadmin/" into your web browser to open this page.
5
Locate your website build. After installing XAMPP, you'll need a place to save all your website build files. You'll save your website build in the "htdocs" folder in the XAMPP installation folder. Use the following steps to open it:
- Click Explorer in the XAMPP dashboard.
- Open the "htdocs" folder.
- Create a new folder for your website build.
EXPERT TIP

Tyrone Showers
Technologist
Tyrone Showers is a Technologist and the Co-owner of Taliferro Group, an IT consulting company based in Seattle, Washington. With over 35 years of professional experience, he specializes in API Design, e-Commerce, Operational Efficiency, and website development. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from DeVry Institute of Technology.

Tyrone Showers
Technologist

The best way to learn PHP and MySQL is through the pressure of delivering a paid project. Start by identifying a small-scale client project, possibly for a local business or a non-profit. Choose a project where the stakes are real, but the scope is contained. This could be a basic web application or a simple database-driven website. Dive into the specifics of PHP and MySQL as they relate to your project.
Once you have a website build started, you can test your website build by entering "localhost/[path to website]" in your web browser. For example, if you create a test website in the "htdocs" folder and save it to a called "test," you can open it by typing "localhost/test" into your web browser.^{[3]
X
Research source}
If you want to shut down your local server, click Stop next to the modules you are using. Once they are shut down, you will not be able to load your website in a web browser.

Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Troubleshooting

Download Article

1
Resolve issues with Apache refusing to run. On some Windows 10 computers, Apache won't run due to a "blocked port". This can happen for a couple of reasons, but there's a relatively easy fix:^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Click Config to the right of the "Apache" heading.
- Click Apache (httpd.conf) in the menu.^{[5]
  X
  Research source}
- Scroll down to the "Listen 80" section (you can press Ctrl + F and type in listen 80 to find it faster).
- Replace "80" with any open port (e.g., "81" or "9080").
- Press Ctrl + S to save the changes, then exit the text editor.
- Restart XAMPP by clicking Quit and then re-opening it in administrator mode from its folder.

Community Q&A

Search

Add New Question

Question

How can you change UAC settings?

Community Answer

User Account Control (UAC) provides security against unauthorized changes in your computer in order to prevent changes from being made maliciously. Simply type Msconfig in the Run window -- you should see appear the system configuration. In it, select the Tools tab; select Change UAC Settings and hit Launch. Then drag the bar down that would prevent the writing restriction. Save the settings and you are ready to go; or you can type "C:\WINDOWS\System32\UserAccountControlSettings.exe" to directly jump into UAC settings from the CMD.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 35 Helpful 100
Question

I have installed XAMPP successfully, but the Apache server does not run. Where can I find additional help?

Community Answer

Make sure your ports are port forwarded or your firewall may block it. If you need additional help, you can go to the Apache Friends support forums.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 14 Helpful 32
Question

How do I save the PHP and HTML files on XAMPP?

Community Answer

Depending on where you have installed the XAMPP, you will need to look through the XAMPP Directory and look for the folder 'htdocs' (e.g. 'C:\xampp\htdocs'). Create a folder inside 'htdocs' (e.g. chosenOne). When running your servers (Apache and MySQL) on your browser (Firefox, Chrome, etc.), type : localhost/chosenOne. This should run the pages. Save any PHP and HTML files inside 'htdocs' under XAMPP.

Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
Thank you for your feedback.
If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
Yes No

Not Helpful 7 Helpful 27