WAMPServer doesn’t work. I launched the application from the taskbar in Windows 10, but the “W” in system tray doesn’t turn green, it just stays red. There is also an error when I hover over the W:
Local server – None of 2 services running
SEARCH TERMS I TRIED
Here are some search terms and strings I tried. You may have landed here if you were searching for any of these items:
- WAMPServer won’t start
- Wampserver 3 won’t start Win 10 October Update
- Skype conflicts with WAMPServer Windows 10
- wampache64 disabled windows 10
Caveat
Before you get too deep down this rabbit hole, you should know, dear reader, that the purpose of this post is for me to try to figure out and most of all document my troubleshooting process attempting to solve this issue. Thus this is not going to be an SEO-targeted long-form post that makes you scroll and scroll to get to the actual steps — I don’t guarantee this post will ever contain the solution. It is more of a diary in this case. But, I’m hoping that by seeing my efforts in writing, I will be able to rule out what I have already tried in an organized fashion. So, this post here is documentation as a troubleshooting tool.
Background
Here is my experience of this issue:
I’m following an excellent tutorial about the Avada theme by Nayyar Shaikh. I understand that a lot of North Americans are easily put off by a Middle Eastern/Indian/Pakistani accent, but don’t judge too soon. Mr. Shaikh is very easy to understand and he explains every step in a very comprehensive way. You would do well to give is his videos a try if you are looking for good step-by-step instructions on building a website in WordPress with the Avada theme.
I thought at first that it was only a few days ago that I had used Wampserver on my Windows 10 64-bit computer. To confirm, I checked the “date modified” field of the demo site I was using on localhost.
Boy was I wrong!
Today is the 19th of January, 2019. The last time I used WAMPServer on this HP Pavilion laptop was on the 3rd. Over two weeks ago.
So, then I can rule out my erroneous thought that “It worked fine yesterday”.
What I Know Now
I’ve used my laptop a lot — practically every day — in the past 2 weeks. Troubleshooting is often about asking yourself questions to rule things out. Some questions I’m asking at this point are:
- What programs have I installed in the interim?
- What settings have I changed?
- What have I updated?
- What is the status of my computer? (RAM, CPU, Hard Drive available space, etc.)
Some basic good troubleshooting steps I like to use are these:
- Restart program
- Reboot computer
- Disconnect and reconnect cords, data cables, and power supplies
- Run Ccleaner to remove temporary files and leftovers
- Run Advanced Uninstaller 12 Registry Cleaner to remove unused and obsolete registry entries
In the interest of integrity and thoroughness I must confess there are some Windows troubleshooting tips that I’ve heard of but haven’t made much use of. Maybe I need to refresh my Windows networking skills?
Anyway, one of the main tips I always seem to forget about is to look at “the logs”. My question then is “which logs“? Where are these logs located? How do you know these things and I don’t? What training courses or certifications would teach this information (there are so many certifications for IT and its various specialties that it gets a bit mind-boggling)?
As I’m writing this I’m exhausted. Not from being up too late or partying, but from my body’s apparent inability to synthesize and use vitamins and minerals. I think they are calling it “malabsorbtion” now. So, I have this foggy mind or brain fog that kind of stops me. It is debilitating. It makes me feel helpless though I was always a type-A go-getter who took pride in being able to do everything myself, and not need anyone’s help.
Well, I’ve healed the not needing anyone part, but my body is recovering at its own pace and add on top of that this rare super blood wolf moon lunar eclipse that occurred last night…. oh, it is a bit of a mess. But, its supposed to be the last eclipse of eclipse season, so things are supposed to get better moving forward.
I’m having trouble thinking ya’ll and the neck pain is getting sort of crucial so I’m going to have to end it here.
Peace and tranquility, love and light.
