No idea, I don't use dreamweaver, nor like oranges (I'm more of a waffle guy).

but it's everything between <? ?> tags (or <?php ?> )

basically, listen to grefix be sure to install apache, also i found a great freeware code editor: PsPad, you'll need it when you're gonna ditch dreamweaver in a couple months

ok, what now???


http://www.services.ex.ac.uk/cmit/modules/programming/getstarted.php

Apaches trying to use the default (80) port.
Do you have something else installed that would use the default port? I'm pretty sure you can change the port somewhere in the config.

in reply to splodge and combined with ff's post

edit the httpd.conf file (found under xampp\apache\conf\

look for the line:
listen 80

and changed it to for instance
listen 8080

this make apache listening to port 8080

Can be very helpfull when you're service provider blocks the 80 port (like mine, it blocks the first 1024 posts) Be aware that you have to specify the port in the url ( eg: http://yourdomain.com:8080)

i decided it was MS IIS so i've deleted that, now apache is trying to load, but failing,
PS do i need "filezilla" ? been told it's a securety risk

filezilla is only nescessary if you need an ftp server too . If you're working directly on the pc you're having your server on, then it's not really nescessary (unless you want to give other people ftp access too offcourse). Personnaly I don't use it

Then again, you're not obliged to use you the filzilla ftp server, there are others out there too

after 5 reinstall, uninstalls, and countless reboots, i've still got no apache

try running this via the command prompt fro mthe directory you installed xampp in

you'll probably get an error or something, but that's what we need to know what's maybe is going on

still nothing, i cant find a sutable comand prompt in that folder,
and it wont let me remove "\inetinfo.exe" i think its some remnant from IIS

can you do hijack? Fairly sure you know what I'm talking about but...

http://www.merijn.org/programs.php#hijackthis see what services are currently running

i run hijack regularly, deleted any traces of coldfusion, IIS, old copy of apache today,

i hide all the regular stuff, adobe, macromedia, norton ect, makes it easier to find any new stuff, the last 023 #s are the last download of xampp, i often have the (file missing) thing, i noticed lots of .ppl do, no one seems to care,

,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
R1 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Bar = http:\\g.msn.co.uk/0SEENGB/SAOS01
R0 - HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Start Page = http:\\www.google.co.uk/
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Page_URL = http:\\go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=69157
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Default_Search_URL = http:\\go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
R1 - HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Main,Search Page = http:\\go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=54896
O2 - BHO: SSVHelper Class - {761497BB-D6F0-462C-B6EB-D4DAF1D92D43} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_10\bin\ssv.dll
O3 - Toolbar: Norton AntiVirus - {42CDD1BF-3FFB-4238-8AD1-7859DF00B1D6} - C:\Program Files\Norton AntiVirus\NavShExt.dll
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [ULiRaid] C:\Program Files\ULi5287\ULi5287.exe
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [SunJavaUpdateSched] "C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_10\bin\jusched.exe"
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [RTHDCPL] RTHDCPL.EXE
O4 - HKLM\..\Run: [Alcmtr] ALCMTR.EXE
O4 - HKCU\..\Run: [ctfmon.exe] C:\WINDOWS\system32\ctfmon.exe
O8 - Extra context menu item: Lookup on Merriam Webster - file:\\C:\Program Files\ieSpell\Merriam Webster.HTM
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_10\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: Sun Java Console - {08B0E5C0-4FCB-11CF-AAA5-00401C608501} - C:\Program Files\Java\jre1.5.0_10\bin\ssv.dll
O9 - Extra button: (no name) - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - %windir%\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe (file missing)
O9 - Extra 'Tools' menuitem: @xpsp3res.dll,-20001 - {e2e2dd38-d088-4134-82b7-f2ba38496583} - %windir%\Network Diagnostic\xpnetdiag.exe (file missing)
O11 - Options group: [INTERNATIONAL] International*
O18 - Protocol: msnim - {828030A1-22C1-4009-854F-8E305202313F} - "C:\PROGRA~1\MSNMES~1\msgrapp.dll" (file missing)
O20 - Winlogon Notify: WgaLogon - C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\WgaLogon.dll
O20 - Winlogon Notify: winwly32 - C:\WINDOWS\
O23 - Service: Apache2.2 - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\xampp\apache\bin\apache.exe" -k runservice (file missing)
O23 - Service: FileZilla Server FTP server (FileZilla Server) - FileZilla Project - C:\Program Files\xampp\FileZillaFTP\FileZillaServer.exe
O23 - Service: mysql - Unknown owner - C:\Program Files\xampp\mysql\bin\mysqld-nt.exe" "--defaults-file=C:\Program Files\xampp\mysql\bin\my.cnf" mysql (file missing)

any ideas, i posted on www.bleepingcomputers.com to see if anyone over there knows what the problem is

no ideas yet, don't see any service or program in that would interfere with apache...

I'll do some queries here and there, but I'm in the dark for now.. Ill get back to you

yea its weird, usually installing xampp takes a few seconds, i've never done it with a machine running IIS tho, that might be the problem as we all know micro$oft tends to be pretty invasive at times.