Wamp on Windows XP or Vista

[6719jason]

Hello,

I am currently looking for an answer to a question which has been causing me no end of issues.

I had been using Wamp on Windows Vista SP1 and found it to be quite stable (Apache would run for Days) but I decided to try and lessen the load on the Server by downgrading to Windows XP SP3.

Since then I have had no end of issues with the stability of Apache. Apache keeps on crashing for the apparent reason. This had let me to believe that Vista is in someway more capable of running Apache more stable.

I am seriously considering re-upgrading to Windows Vista to make things more stable for my website.


Trouble is.... I need to know if theres anything I can do to get Vista's Apache Stability on XP.

I hope someone can provide an answer on what to do.

Many thanks

Jason

[gemini06720]

Jason, I am not too familiar with WampServer as I have been using XAMPP for the past couple of years - I have used XAMPP on both Windows XP SP2 and Windows 7 without stability problem - maybe a bit of speed difference...

But, a few days ago, after reading as much information as the Web could provide, I downloaded and installed the Abyss Web Server - Wow! What a nice Web server! And faster than the XAMPP server I have been using for a while.

The documentation states that the Abyss Web Server can be operated on computers running all editions of Windows XP (as well as Microsoft Windows 95, 98, Millennium Edition (ME), NT 3.51 (and higher), 2000, 2003, Vista (all editions), 7 (all editions), 2008 (all editions), Mac OS X 10.2 (and higher), and Linux (Kernel 2.4 and higher) systems) as long as those minimum requirements are met: An Intel 80486 processor at 33 MHz and 4 Mb of free RAM.

I did not need (nor had nor wanted) to uninstall any other of the Web server software I had installed (EasyPHP, Home Web Server, WampServer, XAMPP) - I just shut off the one I was using (XAMPP) and started the Abyss Web Server once installed. After a few modifications to the settings of Abyss, including a modification to the location of the 'root' directory, my pages have been displaying without problem whatsoever ... and faster than before...

It might be worth a try...

[b.e.wilson]

Last time I put any thought and experimentation into this problem was back in 1992 or so. Back then, to run a reliable web server on Windows XP/FAT32, you'd need one of the web servers that didn't run as a service. Xitami web server was one of the big ones back then (it's still around), and to run it you'd need to be logged in and have the server software open. I suspect (still untested) that XP just doesn't do a good job running services. Vista, on the other hand, was built from Windows NT, which was designed to run services, and I think you're seeing some aspect of that difference in design philosophy.

I've only run Apache and MySQL as services on NT-type systems (and always running on NTFS), and have no experience getting them up on a Windows XP/FAT32 system, so I can't be of immediate help. Sorry.

[gemini06720]

I have just installed the Abyss Web Server on a Lenovo ideaPad Netbook computer running under Windows XP Home Edition (with SP3) and, once again, after some adjustment with the settings, the server program runs 'beautifully'...

The only option I have not yet chosen (activated) was to install the server as a service...

[6719jason]

Hello,

Sorry for my delay in replying to you all, I've been trying out various Wamp's as well as Individual Installs and I've come to this conclusion...

It would appear that while Apache and Wamp's can run quite nicely on XP.... a piece of Hardware or Driver is causing the LAN Port to periodically go 'Off' and then 'On' again a few seconds later... this in turn takes Apache offline and requiring a restart.

This issue appears to only be present on Windows XP as Vista never suffered this issue, Amazingly!

So I am now as we speak in the middle of reinstalling Vista and SP1+2 and will be using the Wamp for Windows Server Software.

Hopefully..... you'll be able to access the Website within the next few hours....

If my banner is appearing below.... its online... if not... I'm offline!

Thanks again Ray and Mr Wilson, your suggestions were noted and in Rays case.... almost implemented!

Jason

[gemini06720]

No image yet!

I guess you do not have either or both Vista SP2 and the WampServer running ... yet!

[6719jason]

Sadly not

Keep getting Apache crash with a message containing "Faulting module name: ntdll.dll" etc and quite stuck on how to solve it.

Uninstalled Wamp and cleared all traces, ran a registry cleaner (Auslogics) and now installing all the updates for SP1.

Then will retry installing Wamp....

Any advice?

[daj]

I'm assuming you need the Windows machine for other things so can not simply install a full Linux install. What about running a VM on the windows PC, with all the stuff preconfigured -- Apache, PHP, MySQL, etc

I've used Bitnami in the past and you are up and running in minutes. It simply runs as an app within Windows

http://bitnami.org/stack/wampstack

[6719jason]

I'm assuming you need the Windows machine for other things so can not simply install a full Linux install. What about running a VM on the windows PC, with all the stuff preconfigured -- Apache, PHP, MySQL, etc

I've used Bitnami in the past and you are up and running in minutes. It simply runs as an app within Windows

http://bitnami.org/stack/wampstack

Yeah thats not a bad idea David!

I need Windows to run Cumulus, Webcam Publisher, KA Firetask (Scheduler) and I guess thats about it!

So.... what do I do? Install Ubuntu Linux and run a VM Machine??

[daj]

So.... what do I do? Install Ubuntu Linux and run a VM Machine??

No, Just install the WAMP Bitnami stack -- it has everything already installed and ready to go. It will ask/give you passwords for FTP & SQL, etc. Then you just use your normal FTP tools to connect to it and upload your files to it's VM on your PC

It's worth trying

[gemini06720]

David, I must be missing something somewhere...

If I look a few messages back, Jason wrote had Wamp (he did not specify if it was the old/discontinued version of WAMP5 or the more modern release of WampServer) installed and running well on a (more likely) 32-bit version of Windows Vista. He then replace Windows Vista with Windows XP - either through the re-installation of the operating software or through the move of the Wamp software to another computer running unde Windows XP - that was not mentioned either.

...What about running a VM on the windows PC... ...Just install the WAMP Bitnami stack... ...it has everything already installed and ready to go...

If I may ask, what is the difference between WampServer (or what used to be known as WAMP5) and BitNami WAMPStack ... other than the WampServer can be installed on a 32-bit/64-bit version of Windows - but then, BitNami WAMPStack can only be installed on a 32-bit version of Windows (the online README file does not even include Windows 7 as a supported platform - probably old documentation).

Would running a Virtual Machine (I presume that what you meant with VM) or a Virtual PC on a Windows Vista computer not slow down the computer - I installed Windows XP Mode inside a Windows Virtual PC on my (reasonably fast) Windows 7 computer and found running any software within the virtual Windows XP would quite substantially slow down Windows 7 ... it was easier and more efficient to get a new low-power inexpensive PC (about $200CA) dedicated for those tasks.

If a BitNami sever software has to be installed on a Linux platform, then the BitNami LAMPStack should be used, not the BitNami WAMPStack... And, if one was to installed and use a Linux platform, then should one not install a dedicated Linus server such as is available from Ubuntu...

As stated in a previous message, I have been testing Aprelium Abyss Web Server (indeed, the package only includes the server part, not the MySQL/PHP/PHPMyAdmin parts - please see note below) - but then, the Abyss Web Server will run on all editions/versions of Windows, 32-bit and 64-bit of Windows 7, Vista, and XP 7, Vista, XP, Windows 2008, Home Server, and 2003, 32-bit of Windows 2000, NT 4.0, ME, 98, and even 95.

Note: With the Abyss Web Server, one just needs to download the latest releases of MySQL/PHP/PHPMyAdmin, install them and activate them through the Abyss Web Server browser console - since they are not an integrated part of the server package, they can be updated individually when new releases are available.

I certainly cannot proclaim to have your knowledge of server software (or IT management), but, over the last 5 years, I have tested no less than half a dozen of Windows-based server packages with mixed feelings/results (from poor integration to excellent reliability with poor speed performance) - I even tried getting involved with Linux on a dedicated Linux computer (Fedora, KNOPPIX, Kubuntu, openSUSE, PCLinuxOS, Puppy Linux, Ubuntu, and Xubuntu) but deleted each platforms after a few weeks of trying to learn/understand the basics/intricacies of the Linux operating systems (I still have more than two dozen Linux books in my bookcase) - obviously, my 'brain' was not 'developed' or has not 'evolved' to 'deal' with Linux...

[daj]

Ray, it was simply another option for Jason to try.

[gemini06720]

Ray, it was simply another option for Jason to try.

David, that is what I thought, but suggesting the use of the BitNami WAMPStack felt odd to me ... as Jason was already using the 'original' WampServer package (I think) - why should Jason try a 'hacked' (modified) version of the WampServer...

[6719jason]

Hello Ray and David

My apologies for not replying sooner to you both, I've been upto my eyeballs in issues with the Server.

This is what I have tried so far since my last update...

- Removed all traces of Wamp Server (http://www.wampserver.com/en/)
- Cleaned Registry and Hard Disk
- Installed BitNami
- BitNami was running okay but very slow
- BitNami was uninstalled
- Wamp Server (http://www.wampserver.com/en/) reinstalled
- Wamp Server was running fine overnight and into this morning... then came the Apache Crash Messages linked to nt.dll
- Cumulus and Webfiles backed up
- HDD Wiped
- HDD Cables Changed
- Network Card Changed
- Windows Vista installed
- Currently installing SP1 for Vista

Plans for this afternoon are to reinstall
- Zonealarm Firewall
- AVG Free Antivirus
- Apache 2.2 Binary for Windows
- PHP 5.3.5 Binary for Windows
- MySQL Community Server for Windows
- Filezilla FTP Server
- Cumulus (Latest Beta)
- KA Firetask

and I think thats it.

Answers to a few questions now...

Throughout this ordeal, I have been running Windows XP Pro and Vista Home Basic 32 Bit, Wamp Server (http://www.wampserver.com/en/).
Windows Vista was replaced with Windows XP Pro and Wamp Software reinstalled fresh.

I want to thank you for all the advice and tips provided by all in this thread, hopefully this time success!

[gemini06720]

Jason, if you are having problems getting the WampServer package to run reliably on your computer, why no try another web server package - you indicated in your message that you were to download Apache, MySQL, PHP, Filezilla by themselves, why not installed first, the Aprelium Abyss Web Server, then, still from the Aprelium downloads web page, the already pre-configured version (for the Abyss Web Server) of the PHP 5.3.6 package for Windows - the two packages work well together. Then it is just a matter of downloading, installing and integrating MySQL and Filezilla with the Abyss Web Server.

In the software you are planning to install, there is one I would really advise against as it has been causing a lot of problems to many people, including myself: The ZoneAlarm firewall software. Since the firewall software is (probably) one of the most important security 'blanket' for a computer, I would recommend that you search for 'serious' and possibly shareware firewall software...

Another thing you wrote, was that "Wamp Server was running fine overnight and into this morning... then came the Apache Crash Messages linked to nt.dll". I searched tow of my computers (one with Windows XP and the other with Windows 7) and did not find any file with that name. I just did a search of the Internet for the file "NT.DLL" and found that "the unsafe files using this name are associated with the malware group cloaked malware". Here are some additional information:

• NT.DLL has been seen to perform the following behavior:
  * Found on infected systems and resists interrogation by security products
  * The Process is polymorphic and can change its structure
  * Adds a Registry Key (RUN) to auto start Programs on system start up
  
  NT.DLL has been the subject of the following behavior:
  * Created as a process on disk
  * Copied to multiple locations on the system

I do not know how true that information is - I found it on the Webroot Software pages...