Local WordPress Install Stuck on Step 2

Hello,

I see that this question has been asked in the past, but I haven’t found an answer that tackles my problem exactly.

I’m attempting to set up WordPress 4.4.1 on a Windows 10 localhost through XAMPP, but after choosing a site name and password and clicking “Next”, the installation process hangs up. It takes forever to “Access localhost”, and when another page does pop up, the only thing that shows up is the WordPress icon and a blank page where I assume more texts and prompts should be.

When I check phpmyadmin, I have about half of the required databases for WordPress. Increasing the maximum executable time will result in more databases being constructed, but still short of a full install.

I read in another thread that deleting the wp-config file that came default with the WordPress .zip file would do the trick, so I tried that. When I did, the install appears to finish, but I’m not given a prompt to create a user, and phpmyadmin displays the database as having no users.

I hope somebody can help. Thanks in advance.