Xampp error mysql shutdown unexpectedly this may be due to a blocked port missing dependencies

Jun 2022

Disclaimer

Although many people said ‘it worked’ and very few say ‘it didn’t’.

It is hard to say what could be the cause and it is not working. Personally, the solution provided below worked for me and I didn’t get any issues so far hence I am sharing this.

I don’t suggest uninstalling, so you can basically back up the file and try this solution. If it doesn’t work then place those files again.

Worked on other Versions

This issue works on other xampp versions too.
I have not tested personally, but some users have.
( If you have tested on a different version, let me know in the comment, I will add it here)

• XAMPP v8.1.6 — Saeid Z
• XAMPP v7.4.16 — CapelliC
• XAMPP v3.3.0 — Myself

Feb 2022 (Problem)

I had the same problem today (2 feb 2022).
I fixed this using the same solution I mentioned below (See Dec 2021 (Solution))

XAMPP Issue Screenshot

XAMPP Fixed

Dec 2021 (Solution)

Since this question is active continuously,
I will try my best to solve it.

My issue

I visit this post every time this issue happens. The only thing I tried was that I uninstalled xampp and reinstalled it, which fixed the problem. That was on my old system.

I am using windows 10 brand new with no unwanted software or issues, and I got this unexpected shutdown again after a long time. I came to this question, hoping someone would tell me actually what was going on instead of fixing these issues. But unfortunately, I could not find it.

Just to clarify, my new issue is not with

• port
• unexpected shutdown
• windows stuck
• unwanted software
• virus or malware.

One day I turned on xampp, and it stops working.

Method 1 (22 Dec 2021)

1. Stop MySQL.
2. Go to the C:/xampp/mysql directory and copy the data folder and keep it somewhere else (probably in another drive) as a backup.
3. Go to your original data folder (C:/xampp/mysql) and sort the files by ‘Type.’
4. Select the files that have the type INFO File and delete them (screenshot below).
5. Start MySQL. It should work now.

Method 1 Screenshot

Important

Not necessarily the solution above will always fix the issue. Sometimes it will not. To avoid the major risk of losing the data, try these.

• Turn on MySQL in the Control Panel ONLY IF NEEDED.
• DO NOT set the XAMPP Control Panel to turn it on windows startup.
• Back up DB whenever possible. If not try to back up every weekend.

PS: I will try to update this answer whenever the above method(s) don’t work. I will try to explain it in the simplest way possible without uninstalling XAMPP.

Let me know if it works for you.

If you use a local development environment, you may run into problems that are similar to those on a live server. In some cases, your WordPress website may be unable to connect with its database because MySQL isn’t running or it shut down unexpectedly.

Depending on which local environment you use, the process of troubleshooting your MySQL database might vary a bit. With XAMPP, the process is remarkably straightforward since you get access to a control panel instead of having to rely on the command line only.

In this article, we’ll explain what XAMPP is and what the “MySQL shutdown unexpectedly” error means. Then we’ll walk you through three methods you can use to fix it. Let’s get to it!

An Introduction to XAMPP

XAMPP is a free, PHP development environment that you can use for Windows, macOS, or Linux. It is a collection of software that enables you to host websites locally by mimicking the functions of a live server:

Using XAMPP, you can install all the software you need to run WordPress locally using a single bundle, rather than setting up each element individually. Development environments differ in what software they bundle.

With XAMPP, the components that you get include:

• Apache: This is arguably the most popular web server software in the world, and it enables you to host sites.
• MariaDB: This open-source database software enables you to manage databases.
• PHP: WordPress is built on PHP, which means you need a PHP install to run the Content Management System (CMS).
• Perl: Although WordPress doesn’t use the Perl programming language, it comes as part of the XAMPP stack by default.

On top of setting up the software you need to run WordPress, XAMPP provides you with a simple control panel:

This enables you to access logs for each of XAMPP’s components. It includes an overview log that shows you everything that’s happening in the background of your environment.

However, using a local development distribution doesn’t mean your server isn’t susceptible to errors. In some cases, the software components may malfunction, such as with the XAMPP error “MySQL shutdown unexpectedly”.

What Is the XAMPP Error “MySQL Shutdown Unexpectedly”?

As the name of the error implies, this is the message you’ll see if the MySQL software on your environment shuts down or ceases to function unexpectedly:

We say “unexpectedly”, because you can manually shut down the MySQL database software at any point. That also happens when you restart your server.

However, when the software is shut down, your website won’t be able to connect to its database. In other words, WordPress won’t work.

As you can see in the above image, XAMPP provides you with advice on troubleshooting the “MySQL shutdown unexpectedly error” right within its events log. In the next section, we’ll go into more detail on the various ways you can use to fix this issue.

How to Fix the XAMPP Error “MySQL Shutdown Unexpectedly” (3 Methods)?

Typically, fixing the XAMPP error “MySQL shutdown unexpectedly” is quick and easy. Below, we’ll walk you through three fixes, starting with the simplest.

1. Run XAMPP Using Administrator Privileges

Often, XAMPP produces errors when you don’t run the software using administrator privileges. This is because its components may not be able to function or configure properly at lower permission levels.

If you’re unsure whether that’s the case with your setup, we recommend that you close XAMPP altogether, and then restart the environment as an administrator. To do so in Windows, find the folder where you installed XAMPP and locate the xampp-control file. Next, right-click on that file and select Run as administrator:

If you’re a macOS user, you can right-click on the folder, and then select Get Info. In the pop-up window that opens, navigate to the Sharing & Permissions section, click on the padlock icon, and enter your administrator password. Change the Read & Write permission settings to Everyone.

Once XAMPP is up and each of its components is running, MySQL should function correctly. That means your database will be accessible.

2. Restore Your Database Backup

If restarting XAMPP with administrator privileges doesn’t solve the problem with your database, the next step is to restore its backup. XAMPP automatically creates backups for your environment’s software, which you can access within the folder where you installed it.

By default, your XAMPP MySQL backup files should be under Local Disk > XAMPP > MySQL. Inside that directory, you’ll see several folders, two of which are called data and backup:

The data folder includes all of the files that your database uses. The backup folder contains a single recent copy of your MySQL.

You can make a backup by clicking on the Stop button to the right of the MySQL option on the main menu:

Once you stop MySQL, return to XAMPP’s MySQL folder and follow these steps to restore the MySQL backup:

1. Make a copy of the data folder.
2. Rename this new folder copy to something like data-old. This will be your backup.
3. Copy the contents of the backup folder into the data folder.

That’s it! To play it safe, though, we strongly recommend that you keep the data-old folder around until you make sure everything is working properly.

At this stage, you can return to the XAMPP control panel to restart MySQL, which should be running correctly now.

3. Change Your MySQL Port

One of the most common causes of the XAMPP error “MySQL shutdown unexpectedly” is another software using the port assigned to MySQL. By default, it tends to be 3306. To be certain, you can select the Netstat module from XAMPP’s control panel, right above the Shell tool:

Netstat is a command line tool that can show you active connections on your network, including which ports they’re using. Once you initialize Netstat, you’ll be able to see what port each tool in your stack is using, including MySQL.

If a conflict with that port caused the shutdown, restoring a backup or running MySQL with administrator privileges won’t make a difference. The only way to solve this issue is to change the port that MySQL uses. Thanks to Netstat, you can see what that port is and which other ones are in use.

To do so, go ahead and stop the service, using the same process we showed you in the last section. Next, click on the Config button next to MySQLon XAMPP’s main menu, and then select the my.ini option:

The my.ini file contains the MySQL configuration settings. After you click on it, XAMPP will open the file using your default text editor. Once you’re in, look for the line that reads Port, which specifies the port number that MySQL uses.

Here, you can change that port number to another option that you know other programs aren’t using. In most cases, we recommend using 3307, which should be available. Save your changes and close the my.ini file.

You can then use the XAMPP control panel to restart MySQL. Hopefully, your database is now working as it should. If for some reason, XAMPP can’t connect to your database using the new port that you set, it will let you know through the control panel’s log. In that case, you might try using a different port instead.

Summary

If you use XAMPP to run WordPress locally, you may encounter the occasional error with your server’s configuration. One of the most common issues is MySQL shutting down unexpectedly.

The good news is that, if this does happen, there are three methods you can use to troubleshoot the issue:

1. Run XAMPP using administrator privileges.
2. Restore your database backup.
3. Change your MySQL port.

If you enjoyed this XAMPP tutorial, be sure to check out DevKinsta as well. DevKinsta is our free local development tool that lets you quickly spin up WordPress sites with customizable PHP settings, HTTPS support, built-in email and database management, and more. DevKinsta also features full integration with MyKinsta, but you don’t have to be a Kinsta customer to integrate DevKinsta into your workflow.

Users working on the MySQL platform encounter an error called “Error: MySQL shutdown unexpectedly”. Issues in the database and corrupted files are some of the reasons behind this error. So, removing these corrupted files will fix this issue.

You might face this error while starting the XAMPP control panel and the Apache module. In this post, we will find a way to resolve this issue.

Cause of “Error: MySQL Shutdown Unexpectedly” in XAMPP

Apart from corrupted files, improper database shut down, missing files and port changes can also cause this error. When you run MySQL in a webserver, the corrupted files in the mysql/data folder cause MySQL to shut down.

This is what the error looks like – 

Error: MySQL shutdown unexpectedly.

This may be due to a blocked port, missing dependencies,

improper privileges, a crash, or a shutdown by another method.

Press the Logs button to view error logs and check

the Windows Event Viewer for more clues

If you need more help, copy and post this

entire log window on the forums

Error log

xamppmysqldatamysql_error.log 

InnoDB: Mutexes and rw_locks use Windows interlocked functions

InnoDB: Uses event mutexes

InnoDB: Compressed tables use zlib 1.2.11

InnoDB: Number of pools: 1

InnoDB: Using SSE2 crc32 instructions

InnoDB: Initializing buffer pool, total size = 16M, instances = 1, chunk size = 16M

InnoDB: Completed initialization of buffer pool

InnoDB: 128 out of 128 rollback segments are active.

InnoDB: Creating shared tablespace for temporary tables

InnoDB: Setting file 'xamppmysqldataibtmp1' size to 12 MB. Physically writing the file full; Please wait ...

InnoDB: File 'xamppmysqldataibtmp1' size is now 12 MB.

InnoDB: Waiting for purge to start

InnoDB: 10.4.11 started; log sequence number 47134; transaction id 9

InnoDB: Loading buffer pool(s) from E:xamppmysqldataib_buffer_pool

Plugin 'FEEDBACK' is disabled.

InnoDB: Buffer pool(s) load completed at 201018 18:42:04

Server socket created on IP: '::'.

Steps to fix this problem – 

• Stop the XAMPP server, MySQL and Apache
• Create a backup of the “/xampp/mysql/data” folder using a compression software
• Rename the “/xampp/mysql/data” folder to “/xampp/mysql/data-old”
• Create a new folder and name it “/xampp/mysql/data”
• Copy all folders from the “/xampp/mysql/backup” and paste it to the “/xampp/mysql/data” folder, which you have just created
• Copy all the databases from the “/xampp/mysql/data-old” folder and paste it to the “/xampp/mysql/data” folder
• Finally copy the “ibdata1” and all of the log files including “ib_logfile0, ib_logfile1 ” from “/xampp/mysql/data-old” and paste it to the “/xampp/mysql/data” folder
• Start MySQL from the XAMPP control panel
• Go to phpMyAdmin to check if all the databases are available and running properly

While undergoing this process make sure you backup all your data in a secure place.