Donate Now

Choose a Ministry
Recommend a Ministry

Information here is valid for: Apache >= 2.0.55, PHP >= 4.4.1 < 5, MySQL 5.0.18, PHPMyAdmin 2.7.0-pl2, and maybe later versions (Windows).

Apache

  • Go here: http://httpd.apache.org/download.cgi and download Apache binary installer for Windows. Filename is similar to this: apache_2.0.55-win32-x86-no_ssl.msi. Once it's done downloading, run the file.
  • You'll see something similar to: "Welcome to the Installation Wizard for Apache"... Blah blah blah.
    Click next.
  • "I accept the terms in the license agreement" Click next.
    Next, again.
  • Network Domain: localhost
    Server Name: localhost
    Administrator's Email Address: admin@localhost (unless you wanna put in your own email)
    "For All Users, on Port 80, as a service -- Recommended.", click next.
  • Typical installation. Click next.
  • Choose a place to install Apache, or leave it as is. Click next.
  • Click install.
  • Click finish.
  • Unblock from firewalls, Apache and port 80.

You'll notice a new icon in the system tray. You can start, stop, or restart apache from there. Go to http://localhost/ and if you see the Apache test page, then congradulations—but we're not done yet.

Open up the file "httpd.conf", in a text editing program, found in the Apache directory, under the folder: "conf". Look for: 

DocumentRoot "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/htdocs"

or something similar. Change it to: 

DocumentRoot "C:/full/path/to/www/folder/".

Now, look for:

<Directory "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/htdocs">

or something similar. Change it to match your DocumentRoot. Restart Apache.

Apache Troubleshooting

After unblocking Apache, and port 80 from any firewalls you have, and http://localhost/ doesnt show the Apache Test page, then try these methods:

  • Make sure no other program is using port 80 (this is usually the main reason).
    • Disable the Windows firewall and get a better firewall, and unblock Apache and port 80 from there.
  • Edit the Apache httpd.conf file, found in the Apache folder, in the conf folder, and change "localhost:80" to "localhost:8080". Then test out "localhost:8080" in the browser: http://localhost:8080/

If any of these methods dont work, then I forgot a specific method, or I cant help you any further and you'll have to seek help somewhere else. I will not respond to any emails relative to this problem.

PHP

  • Go here: http://www.php.net/downloads.php and download the binary zipped file.
  • Once it's done downloading, unzip to a folder, prefferably, in a new folder called: "PHP" under C:/.
  • Make a copy of "php.ini-dist" and rename it to: "php.ini".
  • Open that file for editing, in a text editor.
  • Uncomment the "include_path", by removing the semicolon so that it's like this:
include_path = ".;C:\php\includes\"
  • Change "doc_root" to match "DocumentRoot" from the Apache httpd.conf file.
  • Modify "extension_dir" to point to your PHP extensions folder, probably, "C:\PHP\extensions" or "C:\PHP\ext".
  • Save and close.

For Apache 2.0.*

  • Copy "php4apache2.dll" from the "sapi" folder into the PHP directory. Also, make sure "php4ts.dll" is in the same directory.
  • Open up "httpd.conf", again, from the Apache conf folder, for some more editing.
  • Search for the section about "LoadModule" and add:
LoadModule php4_module "c:/php/php4apache2.dll"

For Apache 2.2.*

  • Download the Apache 2.2.* Handler)
  • Extract "php4apache2_2.dll" and "php4apache2_2.lib" from the zip file into the PHP directory. Also, make sure "php4ts.dll" is in the same directory.
  • Open up "httpd.conf", again, from the Apache conf folder, for some more editing.
  • Search for the section about "LoadModule" and add:
LoadModule php4_module "c:/php/php4apache2_2.dll"
  • Now look for the section about "AddType" and add:
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php .php3 .php4 .phtml

If you want HTML files to translate PHP scripts, just add " .html" to the end of that line.

  • Now, look for "DirectoryIndex", and add "index.php" so that it looks similar to this:
DirectoryIndex index.php index.html index.html.var
  • Save, close, and restart Apache.
  • Now make a new PHP document in the DocumentRoot folder, with the name "phpinfo.php".
  • Edit and add:
<? phpinfo(); ?>
  • Save and close.
  • Now click here: http://localhost/phpinfo.php, if you see a page full of lots of PHP info, then you've successfully installed PHP. If you don't, then it could be you didn't, or you're using a different port. If so, add that port to the URI.
  • Delete "phpinfo.php" after you know everything is working.

PHP Troubleshooting

Never really had a problem installing PHP, so, you're on your own with any problems you encounter.

MySQL

  • Go here: http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/mysql/ and download the "Windows (x86)" one.
  • After download finishes, run the file.
  • "Welcome to the Setup Wizard for MySQL"... click next.
  • "Typical", click next.
  • Click install.
  • After installation, "Skip Sign-up", and click next.
  • Make sure "Configure the MySQL Server now" is checked, and click finish.
  • Another window shows up, click next.
  • "Standard Configuration", and click next.
  • Make sure everything is checked, and click next.
  • "Modify Security Settings", enter a password and make sure you remember it, and dont make it easy as well, leave everything else unchecked, and click next.
  • Click execute. You may have to unblock anything that the firewall picks up.
  • When it tells you to press finish, press it.
  • Open up Command Prompt/MsDOS, and type in:
mysqlshow -u root -p

When it prompts you for password, enter the one you entered during the MySQL installation.
If you see something afterwards similar to something about Databases: "information_schema", "mysql", and "test", then good!

PHPMyAdmin

  • Go here: http://www.phpmyadmin.net/ and download the latest release.
  • After download is complete, extract the zip file into the "DocumentRoot" folder, and rename the folder to: "phpmyadmin".
  • Make a copy of "config.default.php" and rename it to: "config.inc.php".
  • Open "config.inc.php" for editing, in a text editor.
  • Modify so whatever is here, matches:
$cfg['PmaAbsoluteUri'] = 'http://localhost/phpmyadmin/';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['extension'] = 'mysql';
$cfg['Servers'][$i]['auth_type'] = 'http';
  • Save and close.
  • Open up the "php.ini" file again, for more editing, in a text editor.
  • Look for ";extension=php_mbstring.dll" and unquote it by removing the semicolon. If you dont see it, then add it.
  • Save and close.
  • Open up "httpd.conf" again for more editing, in a text editor. Look for something similar: 
Alias /icons/ "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/icons/"

<Directory "C:/Program Files/Apache Group/Apache2/icons">
    Options Indexes MultiViews
    AllowOverride None
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
</Directory>

and under it add:

Alias /phpmyadmin/ "C:/phpmyadmin/"

<Directory "C:/phpmyadmin">
    AllowOverride None
    Order Deny,Allow
    Allow from 127.0.0.1
</Directory>
  • Replace all the ""C:/phpmyadmin/"" with the real path of the PHPMyAdmin directory.
  • Restart Apache.
  • Go here: http://localhost/phpmyadmin/, and when it prompts you, enter "root" as the username, and as for the password, use the one from the MySQL installation.

After a bit you should see the PHPMyAdmin page.

PHPMyAdmin Troubleshooting

If it keeps asking you for username and password, cancel it. You might see an error something like this:

Client does not support authentication protocol requested by server; consider upgrading MySQL client.

Easy to fix.

  • Close the browser, and click on Start > Program Files > MySQL > MySQL Server: Command Line.
  • Log in.
  • Now type this:
SET PASSWORD FOR root@localhost = OLD_PASSWORD('password');

Replace "password" with the password used in the MySQL installation, and hit enter.

  • Close, restart MySQL, and try logging into PHPMyAdmin again.

PHP 5

Make sure

PHPIniDir "C:/PHP"

is in the Apache "httpd.conf" file.

If these methods don't work, then I can't help you. You'll have to seek help elsewhere, for I will not respond to any e-mails relative to other problems.