configuring virtual host and localhost redirecting to the xampp folder

You need to enable name-based virtual hosting.

Near the top of the file in C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\httpd-vhosts

uncomment #NameVirtualHost *:80

i.e. from:

#
# Use name-based virtual hosting.
#
#NameVirtualHost *:80

To:

#
# Use name-based virtual hosting.
#
NameVirtualHost *:80

(Note the last line now is uncommented).

Worked like a charm for me. :)

I had this same issue. Your first request is redirecting to the htdocs root directory. If you look at index.php in the htdocs directory, you can see very brief code that takes the incoming request and redirects it to the xampp directory.

I fixed it by fiddling with the httpd-vhosts.conf file. In your case, try making the following edits:

NameVirtualHost 127.0.0.1
<VirtualHost 127.0.0.1> 
    DocumentRoot "C:\xampp\htdocs\
    ServerName localhost
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost www.myhost> 
    DocumentRoot "C:\Users\Me\Dropbox\Project\public"
    ServerName www.myhost
    ServerAlias www.myhost
    <Directory "C:\Users\Me\Dropbox\Project\public">
        Options Indexes FollowSymLinks Includes ExecCGI
        AllowOverride All
        Order allow,deny
        Allow from all
   </Directory>
</VirtualHost>

I had a similar issue and found that I had to go to my Apache24 main httpd.conf file and uncomment around line 501 "Include conf/extra/httpd-vhost.conf" I had never used that before and it was still #'ed out. Hope this helped anyone not finding other answers here. My Apache24 can now see my vhost file.