So you’ve taken the plunge and are now running the latest and greatest OSX Mavericks. You’ve hit one snag though. All of your local websites that you’ve built and run through apache are simply returning an “It Works!” page. Don’t Fret! When OSX updated itself, it updated it’s Apache install, essentially overwriting your /private/etc/apache2/httpd.conf file. However, before doing this, it created a backup of this file and named it https.conf.pre-update.
Simply pull up your favorite Diff tool (I really like DiffMerge from SourceGear), find the differences, and apply the changes. For me it simply meant re-enabling virtual hosts and PHP5. Restart apache when you’re done and you’re good to go!
Note: If you don’t have a httpd.conf.pre-update file, or it seems to not have the right values, check for a https.conf~previous file. I had one named that which included my homebrew modifications that were made.
Sup-a-Dillie-O 
Thanks, I’d forgotten about this from when I upgraded to Mountain Lion before.
thanks man! lifesaver. am about to give a presentation today when my apache went nuts. thanks agan! :D
I noticed that the update removed everything in /var/log/apache2 so if you made a log folder for each website like i did, you have to re-create these folder or http won’t start. (have look in /var/log/apache2/error.log)
httpd* won’t start
Are you getting a specific message or is it just not starting? Try a reboot?
Good info. Thanks for sharing!
after trying nearly everything I was thinking of I found your note, and now everything is working again..
thanks a lot for sharing…
Bravo
Thanks for this – the two changes you suggested applied to mine as well, plus I’d also set up a different document root. Not sure I’d have figured that out without this article.