Reinstall XAMPP WordPress, Restore Database

My self-hosted WordPress site on a Windows Server 2019 machine running XAMPP became corrupted after a recent update. Pages no longer load, the admin area throws PHP errors, and the core files look damaged. The MySQL database itself is still intact and contains all posts, pages, and users, so I need a clean WordPress reinstall that points back to that same database.

Here’s what has to happen:

• Remove or quarantine the broken WordPress core files inside the current XAMPP stack without touching the existing MySQL database schema or data.
• Deploy a fresh copy of the latest stable WordPress (or the version you recommend for easiest recovery) in the same XAMPP environment, keeping the wp-content uploads, themes, and partial backups I already have.
• Reconnect wp-config.php to the existing database credentials and confirm the site boots with all articles visible.
• Validate that plugins, theme, and permalink structure function; disable or replace any plugin causing fatal errors.
• Provide a brief hand-over note detailing every step so I can repeat it if needed.

Acceptance criteria: the home page and admin dashboard both load without errors, all previously published content is present, and there are no critical warnings in Site Health.

You’ll have full RDP access to the server plus the partial backups I mentioned. If you prefer working through phpMyAdmin or the XAMPP control panel, feel free—just keep downtime minimal.