In the world, of web development, XAMPP has long been a trusted companion for creating a local server environment. However, even the most reliable tools can occasionally throw a problem into our workflow.

If you’ve encountered the frustrating “localhost refuses to connect” error while using XAMPP, you’re in the right place. In this guide, we’ll dive into the complexities of the XAMPP localhost connection refusal error. And explore effective solutions to get your local server up and running smoothly once again.

Why Does this Error Occur?

The “localhost refuses to connect” error in XAMPP can be attributed to various factors, often originated from misconfigurations, software conflicts, or system settings. Here are some common reasons for encountering this issue:

1. Service Status
2. Port In Use
3. Firewall Blocking Connections
4. Incorrect Hosts File Configuration
5. httpd.conf or my.ini Misconfigurations
6. Using an Outdated XAMPP Version
7. Operating System Dependencies
8. Browser Cache or Cookies

Understanding these potential causes can guide your troubleshooting process. It’s essential to systematically investigate each factor to pinpoint the exact reason behind the “localhost refuses to connect” error in your XAMPP environment.

Fix Error- Xampp Localhost Refused To Connect

If you’re a visual learner , here’s the full tutorial video for you:

Change Apache Port

To change the Apache port , do the followings:

• Open the Xampp from start menu.

As you can see, Apache is running on ports 443 and 8080 . By default , browser sends request to port 80 but we’ve 8080 . So, lets change the port number to 80.

• Click on ‘Config’

• Click on ‘Apache (httpd.conf)’

• Change the port number

The port number 8080 is changed to 80 as shown in the image above.

• Stop and Start Apache

Now, you can see the port is changed from 8080 to 80.

After the port is changed, try to run the localhost . If it is not working try it may be due to other issues.

Flush The DNS

If you’re encountering the “localhost refuses to connect” error while using XAMPP, it could be a result of DNS (Domain Name System) caching issues. DNS caching stores previously resolved domain names, and when it becomes outdated or corrupted, it can lead to connectivity problems.

To flush the DNS , follow the steps below:

• Go to the command prompt

You can open command prompt by typing cmd on start menu.

• Type ipconfig /flushdns

You’ll see the message ‘Successfully flushed the DNS Resolver Cache’ as shown in the image above.

Now, try to run the localhost server , if it is not working try another way.

Try Another Browser

The error can have been occurred due to the internal cache issues of browser . So , lets try to run in another browser and see if it works.

If it is working on another browser , you can just clear the browser cache and restart your computer and it’ll work. If it isn’t working try another way to solve it.

Firewall Setting

The “localhost refuses to connect” error in XAMPP can also be attributed to firewall settings that may be blocking the necessary connections.

Follow the steps below to change firewall setting

• Search for Firewall in start menu

• Click on ‘Turn Windows Defender Firewall on/off‘

• Turn off windows defender firewall

• Run the Localhost server inXampp

You may also like: Apache Shutdown Unexpectedly

Conclusion: Fix Error-Xampp Localhost Refuse To Connect

In this blog post, we solved the issue of Xampp localhost refuse to connect in many ways. We first solved the issue due to the Apache port . Then we solved for the DNS issue , browser cache issues and the issue with firewall settings which may have been blocking necessary connections. If you couldn’t solve the error using all these solutions, let me know in the comment section.

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