Fix for MAMP when MySQL is not starting

Tuesday, March 7, 2006

I’m currently using MAMP for local PHP development on OS X. It works ok, except for a tendency to bug out when starting up again after first quitting the application once. So if you get the “Error: Could not connect to MySQL server!” notice, here’s a fix:

  1. Quit MAMP
  2. Open the terminal and type: killall -9 mysqld
  3. Restart MAMP

That should do it. If it’s still not working, this forum thread has more details.

15 comments so far. Go ahead, write something

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might have to sudo.

#1 your moms 02 May 07

Absolute life saver - thank you!

#2 Brian 12 Feb 08

Thank you so much. This saved me hours.

#3 Eli 01 Apr 08

Thank You! Saved me so much aggravation.

#4 LT 20 May 08

Tanks a lot!!!

#5 fernando 12 Aug 08

[…] If the mysql server is not working. Visit this site for a fix. […]

#6 Installing Drupal on a Mac, Problems and Process at Stetson House Web Developers Society of Philadelphia 20 Aug 08

damn straight… thanks for the posting, fixed it like a charm!

#7 soda novels 20 Aug 08

Just what I needed! Thanks a bunch for sharing this!

#8 George 05 Sep 08

No matching processes belonging to you were found

that comes up when i type it in

#9 Devan 17 Sep 08

thanks.

#10 lyonnel 27 Sep 08

Damn dude! IT worked PERFECTLY! thanks a bunch!

#11 Nick 08 Oct 08

Worked great. Danks!

#12 Sheldon 20 Oct 08

other way that might fix the same problem :

-go in the folder MAMP/db/mysql/ - delete all files that IS NOT A FOLDER (files like ‘mysql-bin.XXXXXX’ / ‘mysql-bin.index’/ ‘ibdata1’ / ‘ib_logfileX’

don’t worry, this doesn’t erase any of your database, but make sure you don’t delete the folders. That’s where the data of your databases are stored.

#13 couzinhub 11 Nov 08

Another issue that some of you might be encountering: I had MAMP working and then changed my root password. Next time I started it up, the start page kept giving me “Error: Could not connect to MySQL server!” Turns out that user ‘root’, pass ‘root’ is hard-coded into the MAMP start page at MAMP/bin/mamp/index.php. Once I changed that page to match my new pass, the start page worked.

#14 Ben 12 Nov 08

couzinhub = brilliant help. I was ready to download - reinstall. this would of caused me days of loss.

#15 jamo 13 Nov 08

Type here: