Many people must have seen this error. I just installed WampServer 2, and got it. An analysis of the problem results in the following possible causes:
- a misconfiguration in your httpd.conf. This is the most common. To resolve it, go to the command line (Start > Run > CMD), and enter “httpd.exe –S” in the apache\bin folder.
- port 80 is already in use. This can happen because you have another application, e.g. IIS running on port 80. Actually there is no reason you shouldn’t be able to use both, just not at the same time. From the Wamp menu you can choose Apache > Test port 80 and it will tell you which service is using it. To stop IIS you will have to go to Control Panel > Adminstrative Tools > Services and stop the World Wide Web Publishing service.
- your firewall is blocking port 80. All firewalls are different. First, just stop the firewall to test if it’s the cause of the problem. If it is, you need to add 127.0.0.1 to the ‘safe list’.
- Update: I recently found the ‘IIS management service’. This can also interfere with apache, so stop it if you don’t need it.
- Update 2: Thanks, Anil, for the Skype issue. I had that one as well actually.. So, guys, just stop Skype (right click in the task bar, and exit the app). Then start Wampserver and you can restart Skype. Or change the Skype port numbers. See the Skype support page.
- Update 3: Check the ip addresses in the apache conf\httpd.conf file. There should be a line saying Listen x.x.x.x:80, with your ip address. You can either try to add a line for 127.0.0.1 (local address) or you can put your actual IP address in there. If the DHCP server of your router has issued a new address it may be different from last time, especially if you use wireless a lot. To check your local IP address, go to the command line (Start > Run > CMD) and enter “ipconfig”.
- Update 4: If you have Microsoft Sql Server installed, even though the IIS service is disabled, it keeps a web service named httpapi2.0 running. You should stop the service named ‘web deployment agent service’. Thank you Griffith.
- Update 5: You should also stop ‘SQL Server Reporting Services’.
The Universe Divided 
I also noticed that if you run the Jungledisk software this will also interfere with Wampserver.
ever skype also runs on 80 by default. so it could also create a problem. start skype after wamp gets started and skype would take other port
Thanks for the Skype tip-off! Worked nicely.
– Geoffrey
Yeah I had the same issue and stopped skype and the problem was sorted!
Tnx guys
I run into this once in a while and I forget that sometime I adjust the
*** Listening Port in http.conf ***
for other PC’s I test from on the local LAN !!
I am posting so when I come looking for the answer again I will see this …LOL!
Check yer listening port assignments !!
Thanks for the post here.
Cheers,
TwoHawks
Skype was the issue indeed. I’ve now turned off the Skype port 80 usage in Advanced Settings. Thanks for the hint!
Nother thing you might want to look at is that if you have any aliases configured that they are in fact connected and resolving properly. Easiest way is to empty your wamp/alias directory, copy the .conf files to somewhere and restart all services. If it restarts you’ve found the problem, you’ll need to test each .conf file to find out which one/ones is causing the problem
Thanks. httpd.exe -S showed me the error in a config file.
Thanks Marty Peet, I’d forgotten I was half way through creating a .conf file in the alias directory. Things are working again!
For me Skype as well.
Thx for this page!
Thanks or sharing and solving my problem
Thanks for sharing this useful information. It solved my problem.
for windiws 7 in order to have the iis started all you need to do is to stop the iis and it will work. thanks for your help
So, to start IIS I have to stop IIS? That doesn’t make any sense. I think you mean you have to stop IIS in order to start apache, but still you could run into these port issues with Skype, etc.
Thanks for this! I have xampp & wampserver2 installed. I couldn’t get wampserver2 services to start up this morning. I quit skype etc, didn’t make any difference.
I suddenly remembered that xampp had installed apache/mysql as services, but these do not appear in the services list, unlike the wampserver2 services (wampapache / wampmysqld) so I uninstalled xampp’s services via xampp’s control panel and now I can easily switch between xampp / wampserver2 whenever I want.
Yeah its f*cking Skype with its port 80
very very skype!!
Also and its mostly my error but when you are using virtual hosts make sure when you are defining your DocumentRoot directories you dont use \ [backslashes] but / [forward slashes].
This had me baffled for a while until I ran httpd.exe -S which told me my problem 🙂
Hope this helps others
Raj
LOL I was so angry against window$ (just costumed). Thank you for the skype tip.
greetings from Colombia (South America)
Thanks for the reminder about stopping other services. In my case, it was the Flash Media Server that grabbed port 80, so I stopped it, then started WAMP, then re-started the Flash Media Server.
Hi,
I also got the same error for a while.Then I found from this page that the IIS is giving problem. I removed the IIS as I do not need it now, Wamp starts working fine.
Thanks.
K.Ramanathan
Great thanks from Olav…
Thanks for sharing this useful information. It solved my problem. :))
Great, thanks that really helped. Was skype for me.
Also, If you have installed SQL Server, feature SQL Server Reporting Service can use port 80, which can prevent Apache service to start
ROFLMAO!!!
what a lameass system… i typed in the httpd.exe -s command and it said my documentRoot folder i wrong…
why the fuck isnt the error message saying this??
The “web deployment agent service” was the killer for me, thanks for the help!
I have installed the avasta antivirus
So because of this the wamp is not starting?
Skype defaults to port 80. Thanks for this!
update 4 is amaaaaaaazing 🙂 thank you that was my issue… my head rolled till i found out
You are awesome…….. man…… Saved my day
Thx for information, in my case was that skype uses port 80
Thanks like anything man!! My case was the first one and i knew it. I desperately needed some guidance in the right direction.
Thank you so much, it solved my problem after digging lot of links 🙂
Thanks Michiel, I spent 3 days on trying to get this operational. Your first paragraph indicated a syntax error on line 18 – from must be used after Allow.
My httpd.conf file was set to 0.0.0.0:80
Changing to 127.0.0.1:80 fixed it. Thanks for the help.
Thanks, after executing the command httpd -S I came to know the error and got the solution too… Now my wamp server is working…
thank you ! stopping the SQL Server reporting helped
Updating the httpd.conf file and changing the Listening port to 8080 instead of 80 solved my issue.
http://forum.wampserver.com/read.php?2,45920,116836
I have to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in penning this
site. I am hoping to check out the same high-grade blog posts from you in the future as well.
In truth, your creative writing abilities
has encouraged me to get my very own website now 😉
Thank you very much, I appreciate your support.
Hello, Michiel. The first advice about “httpd.exe –S” is very useful. Thank you so much. I had trouble configuring Apache to work with PHP7 and syntax check was a lifesaver