apache - Wampserver icon not going green fully, mysql services not starting up?

Question

I'm running an application on localhost, it's been running successfully for at least a year now, but suddenly today wampserver isn't starting up. Whenever I rightclick on the taskbar icon and "start all services", it gets orange, but never green. Yesterday there was a data loss problem because one of the mysql tables crashed and had to be repaired, if that's related to this in any way.

If I try http://localhost/phpmyadmin, I get a 403 Forbidden error, which I never got before.

I checked the apache log today and its latest entries are:

[Sat Jul 20 14:17:31 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Stack trace:, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:31 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   1. {main}() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:0, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:31 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   2. mysql_real_escape_string() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:25, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:31 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Warning:  mysql_real_escape_string() [<a href='function.mysql-real-escape-string'>function.mysql-real-escape-string</a>]: A link to the server could not be established in D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php on line 25, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:31 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Stack trace:, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:31 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   1. {main}() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:0, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:31 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   2. mysql_real_escape_string() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:25, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Warning:  mysql_real_escape_string() [<a href='function.mysql-real-escape-string'>function.mysql-real-escape-string</a>]: [2002] No connection could be made because the target machine actively  (trying to connect via tcp://localhost:3306) in D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php on line 26, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Stack trace:, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   1. {main}() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:0, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   2. mysql_real_escape_string() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:26, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Warning:  mysql_real_escape_string() [<a href='function.mysql-real-escape-string'>function.mysql-real-escape-string</a>]: No connection could be made because the target machine actively refused it.
 in D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php on line 26, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Stack trace:, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   1. {main}() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:0, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   2. mysql_real_escape_string() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:26, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Warning:  mysql_real_escape_string() [<a href='function.mysql-real-escape-string'>function.mysql-real-escape-string</a>]: A link to the server could not be established in D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php on line 26, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Stack trace:, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   1. {main}() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:0, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:32 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   2. mysql_real_escape_string() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:26, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:33 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Warning:  mysql_num_rows() expects parameter 1 to be resource, integer given in D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php on line 34, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:33 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP Stack trace:, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:33 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   1. {main}() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:0, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:33 2013] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] PHP   2. mysql_num_rows() D:\wamp\www\zeejflow\index_exe.php:34, referer: http://localhost/zeejflow/index.php
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:33 2013] [error] an unknown filter was not added: DEFLATE
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:33 2013] [error] an unknown filter was not added: DEFLATE
[Sat Jul 20 14:17:33 2013] [error] an unknown filter was not added: DEFLATE

Lines 25 and 26 on index_exe.php are simply as below (I was trying to log in to the application):

$userName = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['userName']);
$Password = mysql_real_escape_string($_POST['Password']);

Because of the [2002] No connection could be made because the target machine actively (trying to connect via tcp://localhost:3306 error, I figured maybe there's a problem with some other application using the same port, so I tried the following (my wamp is running on D:) :

C:Usersadmin>netstat

Active Connections

  Proto  Local Address          Foreign Address        State
  TCP    127.0.0.1:5939         localhost127:49313     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:5939         localhost127:49317     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49155        localhost127:49156     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49156        localhost127:49155     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49157        localhost127:49158     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49158        localhost127:49157     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49311        localhost127:49312     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49312        localhost127:49311     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49313        localhost127:5939      ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49315        localhost127:49316     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49316        localhost127:49315     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49317        localhost127:5939      ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49320        localhost127:49321     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49321        localhost127:49320     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    192.168.15.200:49166   server6201:5938        ESTABLISHED
  TCP    192.168.15.200:49847   Server-PC:netbios-ssn  TIME_WAIT
  TCP    192.168.15.200:49848   Server-PC:netbios-ssn  TIME_WAIT

D:>netstat

Active Connections

  Proto  Local Address          Foreign Address        State
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49799     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49800     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49801     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49802     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49803     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49804     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49806     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49810     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:80           localhost127:49811     TIME_WAIT
  TCP    127.0.0.1:5939         localhost127:49313     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:5939         localhost127:49317     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49155        localhost127:49156     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49156        localhost127:49155     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49157        localhost127:49158     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49158        localhost127:49157     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49311        localhost127:49312     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49312        localhost127:49311     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49313        localhost127:5939      ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49315        localhost127:49316     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49316        localhost127:49315     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49317        localhost127:5939      ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49320        localhost127:49321     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    127.0.0.1:49321        localhost127:49320     ESTABLISHED
  TCP    192.168.15.200:49166   server6201:5938        ESTABLISHED
  TCP    192.168.15.200:49805   mrs02s05-in-f4:http    ESTABLISHED

But now I don't know what to make of this. I made sure my.ini had specified port 3306, and it had (anyway noone changed it in a year how could it suddenly have another value). Any help please! I think Apache is working because when I type in http://localhost, it works and gives the option to go to phpmyadmin or my application folder, but it appears mysql services aren't starting up or something? I confirmed with the admin and no new software (such as Skype) have been installed or anything.

Update

I went to Services.msc and checked wampapache, the status was "started". But wampmysqld had no status. So I right-clicked and chose "Start". A message said "Windows is attempting to start the service on the local computer", but then I got this error:

Windows could not start the wampmysqld service on Local Computer
Error 1067: The process terminated unexpectedly

What on earth is up? :(

Update 2

I got the mysql working again, here:

mysqld working but wampmysqld not starting up

HowEVER, localhost://phpmyadmin still gives me a 403 forbidden error, and mysql_connect keeps giving me an "Access denied" error.

Answer 1

This happened to me today. Since I had not changed my system setting since yesterday, I assumed it's predominantly a mysql issue on the system. I managed to fix it in the following way.

1. Open wampserver's mysql log file. This will contain information on why the service threw and error and exited prematurely.

2. In my case, the mysql service failed to start because it could not read a certain tablespace. The specific tablespace was indicated in the log.

3. Failure to read such a file could be because of file permissions or the file being broken. In such a case, mysql stops executing in order to avoid damaging a tablespace file that may be linked to a database you need. Usually, if you have a backup of the database, then it is safe to simply delete this problematic file and restore the database once your mysql service is started again.

4. If you do not have a database backup then you could force the mysql instance to run a recovery by enabling the option in your my.cnf / my.ini file.

innodb_force_recovery = 1

This forces the instance to run the crash recovery.

NOTE: installing a new instance of mysql does not necessarily mean that your databases shall be retained. I suggest you run a nightly backup of your databases if you are working on huge projects.