403 error for xampp virtual host after server restart - php

Question

I am trying to setup a prod. wordpress site on localhost, my first step is to setup a virtual host. following the step to setup virtual host worked but once I shut down xampp and restarted it, I started to get the 403 error
My "httpd-vhosts.conf" file configs are:
In "httpd.conf" file I have uncommented httpd-vhosts.conf and also set user group accordingly
I also made changes to "httpd-xampp.conf"
changing "require local" > "require all granted"
After multiple attempts I am still unable to setup virtual host and keep getting the following error
My access log shows the following log:
127.0.0.1 - - [08/Feb/2023:12:14:47 +0530] "GET / HTTP/1.1" 403 1038
127.0.0.1 - - [08/Feb/2023:12:14:47 +0530] "GET /favicon.ico HTTP/1.1" 403 1024
127.0.0.1 - - [08/Feb/2023:12:15:07 +0530] "-" 408 -
My error log tell me the following:
[Wed Feb 08 12:14:47.653295 2023] [core:crit] [pid 88973] (1)Operation not permitted: [client 127.0.0.1:50100] AH00529: /Users/yapsody/Desktop/wordpress/.htaccess pcfg_openfile: unable to check htaccess file, ensure it is readable and that '/Users/yapsody/Desktop/wordpress/' is executable, referer: http://www.yapsody.com/
Hoping someone can help me!
Update:
I use a macbook pro intel i5

Answer 1

here are steps for doing what you asked:
1- Install xampp on some hard drive - default is C:
2- Go to C:\xampp\htdocs\
3- Add your project here. (for example, C:\xampp\htdocs\newfolder/index.html)
4- Open a web browser(Chrome, Safari, etc.)
5- Type in address bar:
http://localhost/newfolder
If you want to run as a site, do this:
1- Go to this file
C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts.conf
At last paragraph, copy last section, paste it twice,
and change it like this:
<VirtualHost *:80>
DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/"
ServerName localhost
</VirtualHost>
<VirtualHost *:80>
DocumentRoot "C:/xampp/htdocs/newfolder/index.html"
ServerName sample.com
</VirtualHost>
then in this file:
C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts
do this:
127.0.0.1 localhost
127.0.0.1 sample.com
Please don't change commenting, just copy them and then make changes to your copies.