How to restore Apache and make it work again?

I had installed XAMMP on mac OSX 10.6.8, it didn’t work and I trashed it including the visible bits and pieces in the system/library,etc. remained after the trashing using various erasing programs.

Apparently now something is wrong with the built in
Apache server and the following problems occur:

When enter (just for test)
tp://localhost/ (outdated link removed)
in my browsers,
Firefox displays blank page and XAMPP logo the tab.
with message ‘Unable to connect”.
- Chrome shows message:
'Not Found
error 404
The requested URL not found on this server'

Also, in System Preferences I tried to turn Web Sharing on and off
but can’t get it on - the button stays orange instead of going green.

I never had such problems before installing and trashing XAMMP
and don’t know how to fix them.

I’m not a techie and any practical help about fixing these problems will be much appreciated!
Thanks in advance for any useful tips/guidance!

I have to ask: if you're "not a techie," what exactly are you doing messing around in the terminal and installing web server software?

The reason you're having this problem is very, very likely because you threw away more than you should have, so the built-in server (web sharing) no longer works.

I hate to suggest this because it's such a "Windows" thing to do, but you will likely need to reinstall the system in order to be sure you have restored the bits you damaged/removed and restore web sharing functionality.

If you're trying to set up your own home web server, be aware that most ISPs do not allow this and could terminate your service if the web server starts drawing too much traffic or gets infected with malware. If you're wanting to set up a web site, let us know -- we have lots of members who have loads of good advice on that front.

Thanks chas

Yes, I intended to set a server like MAMP and WordPress to learn it. According to MAMP info it can be used when I'm off line and allows me to learn how to make website... Is it wrong info?

Also, should I really reinstall the system - aren't there any other solutions?