No wp-config.php file on local install of wordpress - site still displays

Question

I've installed Wordpress locally using XAMPP and this step by step guide by Sunny Johal(Fifth post down on that page).

The first time I used the step by step and ran all 3 of the SQL codes(UPDATE wp_options/wp_posts), and then deleted the wp_config file(the author of the guide suggested this as the easiest way to configure the file) the page displayed it's header correctly but all text and images were displayed in a way that it looked like there was no sylesheet. Thinking I had messed something up I deleted the SQL database and started over.

Now to my knowledge I'm following the same steps the same way, but I'm getting two explicit problems:

1. Wordpress is displaying an old, 2013 version of the site. It's nearly identical to the 2014 version and the posts themselves are updated but I can tell from the header that it is definitely the 2013 version.
2. I've gotten to the 'delete wp_config' part of the steps but the site continues to run. I don't understand how this is possible, but looking at my localhost filesystem I can see that wp-config.php is indeed not there.

This seems to be happening each time I try now, so I'm thinking I might have picked up a bad habit that I can't seem to pinpoint. I've tried to be as detailed as possible.. If there's any more helpful information I can give please let me know

Answer 1

My first thought is that your site is using a wp-config.php file that's located in the parent directory of your WordPress install.

NOTE: Since Version 2.6, wp-config.php can be moved to the directory directly above the WordPress application directory.

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Some admins like to use this feature in an attempt to make their setup more secure.