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How to Fix MySQL Not Starting in XAMPP Without Losing Your Databases

Sometimes MySQL in XAMPP suddenly stops working and refuses to start. When you click the Start button in the XAMPP Control Panel, it immediately shuts down again, often without any clear error message. This usually happens because of corrupted InnoDB files, especially ibdata1 and ib_logfile files.

Many users mistakenly try to delete the ibdata1 file to fix the issue. But this is extremely dangerous — deleting ibdata1 can destroy ALL your MySQL databases permanently.

Instead, XAMPP provides a safe method to restore MySQL using its built-in backup folder. Follow the steps below to safely repair MySQL and recover your databases.

Safe Solution: Restore MySQL Using XAMPP Backup Folder

Important: Do NOT delete the ibdata1 file. Use the following safe steps instead.

  1. Rename the existing MySQL data folder
    Go to xampp/mysql/ and rename the folder data to data_old. This keeps your original database files safe.
  2. Create a new data folder from the XAMPP backup
    Open xampp/mysql/backup. Copy the entire folder and paste it into xampp/mysql/. Rename it from backup to data. This restores a clean MySQL structure.
  3. Copy your database folders back
    From data_old, copy your individual database folders (e.g., project_db, wordpress, laravel_db, etc.) and paste them into xampp/mysql/data.

    Do NOT copy these system folders:
    • mysql
    • performance_schema
    • phpmyadmin
    • test
    Only copy your actual database folders (your projects).
  4. Copy the ibdata1 file
    Navigate to xampp/mysql/data_old/ and copy the file ibdata1. Paste it into the new xampp/mysql/data/ folder. This file is required for InnoDB tables to work properly.
  5. Restart MySQL from XAMPP
    Open the XAMPP Control Panel and click Start next to MySQL. Your server should now start successfully, and all your databases should be restored.

Final Thoughts

This method safely restores MySQL in XAMPP without losing your data. Always avoid deleting important InnoDB files like ibdata1 or ib_logfile0. Instead, use the XAMPP backup folder to repair MySQL when it fails to start.

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