To answer the original question:

To change the XAMPP Apache server port here the procedure :

1. Choose a free port number

The default port used by Apache is 80.

Take a look to all your used ports with Netstat (integrated to XAMPP Control Panel).

Then you can see all used ports and here we see that the 80port is already used by System.

Choose a free port number (8012, for this exemple).

2. Edit the file "httpd.conf"

This file should be found in C:\xampp\apache\conf on Windows or in bin/apache for Linux.:

Listen 80ServerName localhost:80

Replace them by:

Listen 8012ServerName localhost:8012

Save the file.

Access to : http://localhost:8012 for check if it's work.

If not, you must to edit the http-ssl.conf file as explain in step 3 below. ↓

3. Edit the file "http-ssl.conf"

This file should be found in C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra on Windows or see this link for Linux.

Locate the following lines:

Listen 443<VirtualHost _default_:443>ServerName localhost:443

Replace them by with a other port number (8013 for this example) :

Listen 8013<VirtualHost _default_:8013>ServerName localhost:8013

Save the file.

Restart the Apache Server.

Access to : http://localhost:8012 for check if it's work.

4. Configure XAMPP Apache server settings

If your want to access localhost without specify the port number in the URL
http://localhost instead of http://localhost:8012.

• Open Xampp Control Panel
• Go to Config ► Service and Port Settings ► Apache
• Replace the Main Port and SSL Port values ​​with those chosen (e.g. 8012 and 8013).
• Save Service settings
• Save Configuration of Control Panel
• Restart the Apache ServerIt should work now.

4.1. Web browser configuration

If this configuration isn't hiding port number in URL it's because your web browser is not configured for. See : Tools ► Options ► General ► Connection Settings... will allow you to choose different ports or change proxy settings.

4.2. For the rare cases of ultimate bad luck

If step 4 and Web browser configuration are not working for you the only way to do this is to change back to 80, or to install a listener on port 80 (like a proxy) that redirects all your traffic to port 8012.

To answer your problem :

If you still have this message in Control Panel Console :

Apache Started [Port 80]

• Find location of xampp-control.exe file (probably in C:\xampp)
• Create a file XAMPP.INI in that directory (so XAMPP.ini and xampp-control.exe are in the same directory)

Put following lines in the XAMPP.INI file:

[PORTS]apache = 8012

Now , you will always get:

Apache started [Port 8012]

Please note that, this is for display purpose only. It has no relation with your httpd.conf.

The best solution is to reconfigure the XAMPP Apache server to listen and use different port numbers. Here is how you do it:

1) First, you need to open the Apache “httpd.conf” file and configure it to use/listen on a new port no. To open httpd.conf file, click the “Config” button next to Apache “Start” and “Admin” buttons. In the popup menu that opens, click and open httpd.conf

2) Within the httpd.conf file search for “listen”. You’ll find two rows with something like:

#Listen 12.34.56.78:80Listen 80

Change the port no to a port no. of your choice (e.g. port 1234) like below

#Listen 12.34.56.78:1234Listen 1234

3) Next, in the same httpd.conf file look for “ServerName localhost:” Set it to the new port no.

ServerName localhost:1234

4) Save and close the httpd.conf file.

5) Now click the Apache config button again and open the “httpd-ssl.conf” file.

6) In the httpd-ssl.conf file, look for “Listen” again. You may find:

Listen 443

Change it to listen on a new port no of your choice. Say like:

Listen 1443

7) In the same httpd-ssl.conf file find another line that says <VirtualHost _default_:443>. Change this to your new port no. (like 1443)

8) Also in the same httpd-ssl.conf you can find another line defining the port no. For that look for “ServerName”. you might find something like:

ServerName www.example.com:443 or  ServerName localhost:433

Change this ServerName to your new port no.

8) Save and close the httpd-ssl.conf file.

9) Finally, there’s just one more place you should change the port no. For that, click and open the “Config” button of your XAMPP Control Panel. Then click the, “Service and Port Settings” button. Within it, click the “Apache” tab and enter and save the new port nos in the “main port” and “SSL port” boxes. Click save and close the config boxes.

That should do the trick. Now “Start” Apache and if everything goes well, your Apache server should start up.

You will also see the Apache Port/s no in the XAMPP control panel has change to the new port IDs you set.

If the XAMPP server is running for the moment, stop XAMPP server.

Follow these steps to change the port number.

Open the file in following location.

[XAMPP Installation Folder]/apache/conf/httpd.conf

Open the httpd.conf file and search for the String:

Listen 80

This is the port number used by XAMMP.

Then search for the string ServerName and update the Port Number which you entered earlier for Listen

Now save and re-start XAMPP server.