Setting up a Local host

Firstly go to XAMPP Installers and Downloads for Apache Friends and download latest Windows version.

Install and accept all defaults

pin the resulting Xampp control panel to the Task bar

Apache > config > php.ini

change ;extension=gd TO extension=gd > save > stop/start Apache

IN browser go to http://localhost/phpmyadmin/ > databases > create > say 'test01'

go to https://www.drupal.org/download > download latest zip to C:\xampp\htdocs

Unzip and rename test01

go to http://localhost/test01/ and install Drupal > 

You will get a warning that needs sorting by..

To enable PHP opcode caching in XAMPP, follow these steps:

1. Open the php.ini file. You can find it at C:\xampp\php\php.ini.
2. Look for the [opcache] section.

3. Add the following lines at the end of the file:

   zend_extension=C:\xampp\php\ext\php_opcache.dll opcache.enable=1 opcache.enable_cli=1 opcache.memory_consumption=256 opcache.max_accelerated_files=2000

4. Save the changes.
5. Restart the Apache server.

Or on a Mac take hash out

then continue...

db name test01

username root

password leave blank

ho hum but still an error..

The website encountered an unexpected error. Try again later.

Fatal error: Uncaught PDOException: SQLSTATE[HY000]: General error: 2006 MySQL server has gone away in C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\StatementWrapperIterator.php:113 Stack trace: #0 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\StatementWrapperIterator.php(113): PDOStatement->execute(Array) #1 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\Connection.php(851): Drupal\Core\Database\StatementWrapperIterator->execute(Array, Array) #2 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Select.php(524): Drupal\Core\Database\Connection->query('SELECT 1 AS "ex...', Array, Array) #3 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Merge.php(379): Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Select->execute() #4 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler.php(95): Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Merge->execute() #5 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler.php(109): Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler->Drupal\Core\Session\{closure}() #6 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Session\WriteSafeSessionHandler.php(95): Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler->write(Object(SensitiveParameterValue), '_sf2_attributes...') #7 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\vendor\symfony\http-foundation\Session\Storage\Proxy\SessionHandlerProxy.php(54): Drupal\Core\Session\WriteSafeSessionHandler->write('yoiysqJWgW2H7vX...', '_sf2_attributes...') #8 [internal function]: Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Session\Storage\Proxy\SessionHandlerProxy->write(Object(SensitiveParameterValue), '_sf2_attributes...') #9 [internal function]: session_write_close() #10 {main} Next Drupal\Core\Database\DatabaseExceptionWrapper: SQLSTATE[HY000]: General error: 2006 MySQL server has gone away: SELECT 1 AS "expression" FROM "sessions" "sessions" WHERE "sid" = :db_condition_placeholder_0; Array ( [:db_condition_placeholder_0] => C3UaGfCAjuNTV17r_KgVqMb1EEMYwp_Qls5B-JTx5CA ) in C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\modules\mysql\src\Driver\Database\mysql\ExceptionHandler.php:56 Stack trace: #0 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\Connection.php(883): Drupal\mysql\Driver\Database\mysql\ExceptionHandler->handleExecutionException(Object(PDOException), Object(Drupal\Core\Database\StatementWrapperIterator), Array, Array) #1 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Select.php(524): Drupal\Core\Database\Connection->query('SELECT 1 AS "ex...', Array, Array) #2 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Merge.php(379): Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Select->execute() #3 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler.php(95): Drupal\Core\Database\Query\Merge->execute() #4 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler.php(109): Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler->Drupal\Core\Session\{closure}() #5 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\lib\Drupal\Core\Session\WriteSafeSessionHandler.php(95): Drupal\Core\Session\SessionHandler->write(Object(SensitiveParameterValue), '_sf2_attributes...') #6 C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\vendor\symfony\http-foundation\Session\Storage\Proxy\SessionHandlerProxy.php(54): Drupal\Core\Session\WriteSafeSessionHandler->write('yoiysqJWgW2H7vX...', '_sf2_attributes...') #7 [internal function]: Symfony\Component\HttpFoundation\Session\Storage\Proxy\SessionHandlerProxy->write(Object(SensitiveParameterValue), '_sf2_attributes...') #8 [internal function]: session_write_close() #9 {main} thrown in C:\xampp\htdocs\manystories\core\modules\mysql\src\Driver\Database\mysql\ExceptionHandler.php on line 56

webhost wont start error solution