Error: PHP not running

Hello,

I just installed XAMPP and everything is running fine. Apache and MySQL are running, I’m able to get to both admin pages etc… I created a new database and a new user that has all privileges for that database.

I downloaded the newest version of WordPress (3.9.1), extracted it to C:\xampp\wordpress, renamed the wp-config-sample.php file to wp-config.php and edited it to reflect the new database, user, user password and hostname:

define(‘DB_NAME’, ‘wp_rttheme18’);

/** MySQL database username */
define(‘DB_USER’, ‘wordpress’);

/** MySQL database password */
define(‘DB_PASSWORD’, ‘blank’);

/** MySQL hostname */
define(‘DB_HOST’, ‘localhost’);

I then use the WordPress readme.html file which tells me to click on wp-admin/install.php, which I do, and then receive the error: Error PHP is not running. I noticed in the url it says file:///C:/xampp/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php. I know that that won’t work through the browser so I’ve tried the following:

//localhost/xampp/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php but I received “Object Not Found! Error 404” with a link to ‘localhost’. When I click on local host it takes me to localhost/xampp and it’s the admin page for Apache. So I guess localhost is set to localhost/xampp? I tried another url //localhost/wordpress/wp-admin/install.php, same error.

I’m guessing WordPress can’t connect to PHP somehow or that I’m using the wrong URL?

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks