WampServer orange icon

Before you can fix anything you need to know which service has not started, Apache or MySQL.

As the TEST PORT 80 utility is saying Apache is running its probably the MySQL service that has not started. Unless you have another Apache running!

So which service has not started???

If the wampmanager icon is not GREEN then one of the services ( Apache/MySQL ) has not started properly.

How to tell which service is not running if the wampmanager icon is orange.

Left click the wampmanager icon to reveal the menu-> Apache -> Service If the Start/Resume service menu is Green then Apache IS NOT running.

Left click the wampmanager icon to reveal the menu-> MySQL -> Service If the Start/Resume service menu is Green then MySQL IS NOT running.

If Apache is the service that is not running it is normally, but not always, because something else has captured port 80.

Now do, Left click the wampmanager icon to reveal the menu-> Apache -> Service -> Test port 80 This will launch a command window and display some information about what, if anything is using port 80.

Whatever it is should be re-configured to not use port 80 or uninstalled if you are not using it.

If port 80 is not the problem look for errors in the appropriate error log ( use the wamp manager menus to view the error logs )

If these do not exists or show no errors then also check the Windows Event Viewer Start -> Administrative Tools -> Event Viewer And look in the 'Windows Logs' -> Application' section accessed from the menu on the left of the dialog for error messages from Apache and or MySQL.

If its MYSQL that has not started.

Check the mysql error log by using the menus

wampmanager->MySQL->error log

Check the Windows Event log for messages from MYSQL

Check you dont have another MYSQL Server instance running.

How to Configure SKYPE so it does not require port 80 or 443

Run SKYPE then using the menus do this: Tools -> Options -> Advanced -> Connection Un-Check the checkbox next to 'Use port 80 and 443 as alternatives for incomming connections' Now restart SKYPE for these changes to take effect.

If you are running Windows 8 SKYPE comes as an app and this cannot ( as yet ) be configured in this way. However if you uninstall the SKYPE app and install SKYPE in the old way, you can reconfigure it, and it works just as well.


Wamp server default disk is "C:\" if you install it to another disk for ex G:\: go to

  1. g:\wamp\bin\apache\apache2.4.9\bin\

2 .call cmd

3 .execute httpd.exe -t

you will see errors

enter image description here

  1. go to g:\wamp\bin\apache\apache2.4.9\conf\extra\httpd-autoindex.conf

  2. change in line 23 to :

Alias /icons/ "g:/Apache24/icons/"

<Directory "g:/Apache24/icons">
    Options Indexes MultiViews
    AllowOverride None
    Require all granted
</Directory>
  1. Restart All services. Done. Resolved

I ran into this same problem this morning but none of the answers above provided me with the solution.

I realised eventually that my issue was because I had changed the DocumentRoot to a subfolder of the www directory, as I had previously been running a Symfony2 project inside www.

With the new project I am working on inside www, that old DocumentRoot dir did not exist any more so Apache failed to start.

wampserver -> Apache -> httpd.conf, then look for "DocumentRoot" and make sure the directory it points to exists or else change it to one that does.

Thank you to RiggsFolly, it was because of your hint about the Event Viewer above that I found the issue.


To add to the above post^^:

If either of the services are not running, it might simply just be because they need to be installed/configured. This is easy to do straight from the WampManager Icon.


If Apache is not running:
 WampManager Icon -> Apache -> Service -> Install Service

You should get a command prompt pop-up if port 80 is free (if not, see above post):

      'Your port 80 is available. Install will proceed.

       Press Enter to continue...'


If MySQL is not running:
WampManager Icon -> MySQL -> Service -> Install Service


Do that for one or both services then:
WampManager Icon -> Restart All Services

The icon should now turn green :)