Port 443 in use by "Unable to open process" with PID 4

Question

I have a very strange problem with my Apache 2.4 working with Xampp 1.8.2 on Windows Server 2008 R2.

When I tried to start Apache server in XAMPP, an error message is shown:

[Apache]    Problem detected!
[Apache]    Port 443 in use by "Unable to open process" with PID 4!
[Apache]    Apache WILL NOT start without the configured ports free!
[Apache]    You need to uninstall/disable/reconfigure the blocking application
[Apache]    or reconfigure Apache and the Control Panel to listen on a different port

However, the process with PID 4 is system! I've tried to restart my computer and it doesn't work.

I have installed Apache 2.4 via a tar.gz file sereral days ago, and uninstalled it. So, I don't think this behavior will cause the problem.

And here's the result using commond netstat -a -n -o | findstr 443

C:\Users\Administrator>netstat -a -n -o | findstr 443
  TCP    0.0.0.0:443            0.0.0.0:0              LISTENING       4
  TCP    [::]:443               [::]:0                 LISTENING       4

Can you tell me what to do?

Solution 1

I had the same problem: port-443-in-use-by-unable-to-open-process-with-pid-4

First I disabled the weather tile in Win* that apparently phones home to Redmond for updates after this showed on netstat list.

This didn't solve the problem. I looked at the post already here which mentioned VPNs, so I went to Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network and Sharing Center and clicked on Change adapter settings

I clicked on Incoming Connections and right clicked on properties

The VPN click box at the bottom of the General tab was on, so I unchecked it

Under Users, I also unchecked a previous user I had allowed to copy some data weeks before

Then I clicked okay

Closed the control panel and restarted the XAMPP control panel

It fired right up without a problem.

Solution 2

Just change the sll port in httpd-ssl.conf file. It would be under C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra. Find "443" and replace it with other values(e.g 8181), then start your apache again

Solution 3

Similarly, I experienced this: Port 443 in use by "Unable to open process" with PID 6012! When starting XAMPP Control Panel v3.2.1 for the first time.

In Task Manager I found that PID 6012 was Apache web server. A copy of it was running in the background without the GUI, and when I invoked the GUI it was trying to start another copy. Killed the phantom copy and then XAMPP started up fine.

I didn't have to change any port settings.

Solution 4

Modify this

LocalDisk **>>** xampp **>>** apache **>>** conf **>>** httpd.conf
Line 58: Listen **80**

for this

Line 58: Listen **8080**

Modify this:

Line 220: ServerName localhost: **80**

for this

Line 220: ServerName localhost: **8080**

Modify this:

LocalDisk **>>** xampp **>>** apache **>>** conf >> extra **>>** httpd-ssl.conf
Line 36: Listen **443**

for this

Line 36: Listen **444**

Modify this:

Line 121: <VirtualHost _default_:**443**>
Line 125: ServerName www.example.com:**443**

For this

Line 121: <VirtualHost _default_:**444**>
Line 125: ServerName www.example.com:**444**

Solution 5

Simply run as Administrtor "xampp-control.exe"

View more solutions

Comments

[Haozhe Xie]

No, I just installed Apache server and uninstalled it. I have post the result using commond netstat -a -n -o above.

[The D Merged]

That does not matter if there is some other program using the port. Could be tomcat e.g. What process have pid 4?

[Haozhe Xie]

No, I haven't install Tomcat. I just installed Apache 2.4.2 several days ago. Because I can't combine it with PHP 5.5 for unknown reason.

[The D Merged]

here is someone that had a similar problem i guess, also pid 4 link

[Haozhe Xie]

But I can't disable that service(Routing and Remote Access), because I'm using Remote Desktop.

[The D Merged]

Then put it on another port or put your webserver on another port. You cant have two processes running on the same port!:)

[user1429980]

This worked for me. I just changed the port number to 553, and all was well. Note that this will occur if you install other servers -- in my case, the ones that come with VMWare Workstation. So if you want to disable those, you will need to look in your services for anything that starts with VMWare, set those to Manual. Then when you start up VMWare, it will start the services if they aren't already started.

[bodruk]

Worked for me! For brazilian/portuguese users, the service is named Serviço de Publicação da World Wide Web .

[Gabrer]

When you have time, maybe you could write how you understood that VPN was the problem :)

[Hello Universe]

Perfect! There should be option in the control panel to change these ports. it would help

[Haozhe Xie]

Please notice that the PID is 4, and this process cannot be killed!

[Lex Li]

Unless you enabled SSTP service for others to connect port 443 won't be opened and monitored (as indicated by netstat). So as an answer, it is incomplete.