My MySQL server is running, but I still get error 2003. What else could be wrong?

If the MySQL server process is confirmed to be running and listening on the correct port, but you still get error 2003 (10061), consider these possibilities: 1. **Client configuration mismatch:** Double-check the hostname and port in your client application's connection settings. 2. **Network configuration issues:** Even for 'localhost', there might be issues with the network stack on your machine. 3. **Conflicting processes:** Another process might be incorrectly using the MySQL port. 4. **MySQL user permissions:** While less common for this specific error, ensure the MySQL user you're trying to connect with has the correct host permissions. 5. **Corrupted MySQL installation:** In rare cases, a corrupted installation could cause services to fail to start correctly or listen properly.