Configuring Apache Web Server and PHP

[Update: You may download the MSI
package of PHP instead of the ZIP one which would do all the set-up and
configuration itself and you wouldn’t have to do the following by yourself]

This is the crucial part guys, first I start off with giving the locations
of the configuration files of Apache and PHP.

Apache: [X:…]Apache Software FoundationApache2.2confhttpd.conf

PHP: [Y:]PHPphp.ini-dist [renamed to php.ini later]

Now let’s start guys:

1. Start by backing up both the configuration files, you’d
need them in case you mess up the files.

2 .Rename the php.ini-dist file to php.ini

3. Look for a line like below

doc_root

and make it look like

doc_root =[X:…]Apache Software FoundationApache2.2htdocs

be sure to change ’[X:…]’ with the location you installed
Apache server in. Save the file.

4. Open the folder you installed PHP in. There you’ll
see lots of DLL files, select them all and click copy. Now open your Windows
System directory and click paste. If any of the files already seem to be there
be sure to make a back up of them.

Location of Windows system folder for various versions of windows is listed
below:

Windows XP/Vista: c:windowssystem32

Windows NT/200: c:winntsystem32

5. Now, copy the php.ini file (the one you edited) and paste
it in the system root directory.

Again the Location of Windows root directory for various versions of windows
is listed below:

Windows XP/Vista: c:windows

Windows NT/200: c:winnt

6. Now PHP itself is all set-up, its time now to tell Apache
to use it to interpret special files(.php). Open the httpd.conf (Apache configuration
file)

7. Seach for the word “Load Module” without the
quotes, you’d see many such lines, scroll to the end of that section and
paste or type these lines after the last Load Module statement:

#-----For PHP--------
   LoadModule php5_module "x:/php/php5apache2_2.dll"

AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

# For syntax highlighted .phps files,
   AddType application/x-httpd-php-source .phps

#-----/For PHP--------

Change the line “x:/php/php5apache2_2.dll” from ‘x’
to the drive you installed PHP in. Save the file.

Now we are all set-up, restart the Apache server for the changes to take effect.
Copy and paste the following in Notepad and save it with a ‘.php’
extension (Save as type: All Files) and put the file in the htdocs folder.