A: Officially, XAMPP bundles MariaDB. You can replace it manually but expect driver compatibility nuances. Easier: run a separate MySQL 8 instance and connect to it via port 3306.
Since PHP 7.1.3 is no longer patched, your local environment can become a vector for cross-contamination if you open it to a network.
If security is paramount but PHP 7.1.3 is mandatory, consider running XAMPP inside a Virtual Machine (e.g., VirtualBox with Windows 7 or Ubuntu 16.04) with host-only networking. This air-gaps the legacy stack. xampp php 7.1.3
XAMPP bundles MariaDB, which acts like MySQL. Legacy code often uses mysql_* functions (removed after PHP 7.0). PHP 7.1.3 does NOT support mysql_connect() – you must use mysqli or PDO.
To fix old code quickly:
Better: Rewrite database layers properly.
Error: "Port 80 or 443 (SSL) in use by "Unable to open process"
Cause: Skype, Teams, IIS, or another web server.
Fix: A : Officially, XAMPP bundles MariaDB
Community scripts like php_switch.bat allow you to toggle between PHP versions. However, they are unsupported and risky for complex extensions.