HDD using xampp,enabled after bootup cannot communicate with the internet - Unless FW rules deleted 1st

Question

Ok,so I run xampp and a database server on a removable HDD also stated in bios as hot plug/removable.

Boot PC,start xampp,start db server,all runs fine.

data passes back and forth from db server almost immediately

website in xampp is connectable from the internet.

Now,if I've disabled the HDD on shutdown.....
Or if I unplug,wait,replug HDD.........

Boot PC,enable HDD,start xampp,start db server both run fine,locally.

BUT! no data passing and no website online

Found to be related to Windows Firewall.................

Answer 1

The drive should have nothing to do with network access. The OS is just reading the program from the drive and executing it.

Download and run TcpView. Find the .exe's and verify that they are listening on the ports that you expect them to listen on.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/downloads/tcpview

Here the spool service is listening on port 1540. The 0.0.0.0 local address indicates any IP on the machine. If you have some other address, then run ipconfig and verify that it matches the network address of your PC.

Use https://canyouseeme.org/ to verify that the port is exposed to the internet.

If it still doesn't work, temporarily turn off your firewall to see if that is your problem.

Answer 2

This......
"The drive should have nothing to do with network access. The OS is just reading the program from the drive and executing it. "

But it is :)
Just tried booting up then plugging HDD in,same thing no access.
I'm wondering if its a property of 'hot plug' or maybe its the hot plug controller in the HAF XB?
I'll do a few experiments and get in touch with CM.

PC has fixed/assigned IP

Answer 3

Blockquote

Are the programs running and listening on the ports that they are supposed to be listening on?

yes because the programs work
they don't work when the HDD is disabled when booting up or if you plug it in when booted up.

My money is on the PCB but I will test a different sata socket...........................

Answer 4

I'll try this one more time....

yes because the programs work
Boot PC,start xampp,start db server,all runs fine.

For the sake of example, let's say that the 2 programs in question are xampp.exe and dbserver.exe. What folders do you have them installed to? Something like C:\Program Files\Xampp\Xampp.exe? Or did you install them to the removable drive and have them on a different drive letter like D:\Program Files\Xampp\Xampp.exe?

Does the external drive show up with the same drive letter every time? Is it the D: drive or some other letter?

How exactly do you "start xampp"? Is it a Windows Service, or do you click on some link to launch the program? Does it show a console window where you can see messages that it produces?

If xampp.exe is installed on the C: drive, and the data files that it needs are on the D: drive, then when you plug the drive in and D: becomes available, you will need to stop xampp and restart it. Have you done that?

Are the programs running? Do you see xampp.exe and dbserver.exe in Task Manager?

Answer 5

For the sake of example, let's say that the 2 programs in question are xampp.exe and dbserver.exe. What folders do you have them installed to? Something like C:\Program Files\Xampp\Xampp.exe? Or did you install them to the removable drive and have them on a different drive letter like D:\Program Files\Xampp\Xampp.exe?

They are not 'installed' they are portable,they run from their own folder.
xampp is webserver software the other is fesl login server software

2 shortcuts on the desktop pointing to each program,start xampp start fesl
everything on the HDD is portable
nothing on the HDD starts until it is asked by the user physically.

I've copied the 2 folders to my documents folder,will try them after disabling the HDD and rebooting......