XAMPP Virtual Hosts not working

Follow these steps if you are in windows environment (7 & 10 tested) with XAMPP:

1. Add in hosts file [C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc]

127.0.0.1       vws.localhost
127.0.0.1       instancegaming.net
127.0.0.1       vws.instancegaming.net

2. Add this in httpd.conf [C:\__Server\apache\conf] . though some says there are security risks with this but couldn't find a way without this

<Directory />
    AllowOverride none
    Require all granted
</Directory>

3. Add these in httpd-vhosts.conf [C:\__Server\apache\conf\extra]

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName localhost
     DocumentRoot "C:\__Server\htdocs"
     <Directory "C:\__Server\htdocs">
         DirectoryIndex index.php
     </Directory>
 </VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName tools.com.at
     DocumentRoot "E:\phpStorms\git\tools-class"
     SetEnv APPLICATION_ENV "development"
     <Directory "E:\phpStorms\git\tools-class">
         DirectoryIndex index.php
         AllowOverride All
         Order allow,deny
         Allow from all        
     </Directory>
 </VirtualHost>
 
 <VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName laravel.test.com.at
     DocumentRoot "E:\laravel.test.com.at\public"
     SetEnv APPLICATION_ENV "development"
     <Directory "E:\laravel.test.com.at\public">
         DirectoryIndex index.php
         AllowOverride All
         Order allow,deny
         Allow from all
     </Directory>
 </VirtualHost>

template of this

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName nameInHostsFile
     DocumentRoot "pathOfTheWindowsFileLocationWhichWillBeDocumentRoot"
     SetEnv APPLICATION_ENV "development"
     <Directory "pathOfTheWindowsFileLocationWhichWillBeDocumentRoot">
         DirectoryIndex index.php
         AllowOverride All
         Order allow,deny
         Allow from all      
     </Directory>
 </VirtualHost>

Note 1: My xampp installed on C:\__Server location

Note 2 : My folder name is laravel.test.com.at and its in E: drive E:\laravel.test.com.at

Note 3: Always copy folder location from address bar in windows explorer, so there is no mistakes.

Note 4: You must restart XAMPP after editing httpd-vhosts.conf every time.

Note 5: Use uncommon part in url [i.e .com.at] so that it is unique and there is no issue resolving dns.

Update: troubleshoot@Jacob Jewett

After a fresh copy of XAMPP installation in C drive -

1. just add/append these line in httpd-vhosts.conf file

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName localhost
     DocumentRoot "C:\xampp\htdocs"
     <Directory "C:\xampp\htdocs">
         DirectoryIndex index.php
     </Directory>
 </VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *:80>
     ServerName vws.localhost
     DocumentRoot "C:\xampp\vws"
     SetEnv APPLICATION_ENV "development"
     <Directory "C:\xampp\vws">
         DirectoryIndex index.php
         AllowOverride All
         Order allow,deny
         Allow from all        
     </Directory>
 </VirtualHost>

2. Add append this in httpd.conf file

<Directory />
    AllowOverride none
    Require all granted
</Directory>

3. ADD PATH variable for php [C:\xampp\php], and also check that there isn't another php path in the PATH variable.

4. restart xampp and browse localhost

Additionally make sure that the line

Include etc/extra/httpd-vhosts.conf

is not quoted out in httpd.conf