“We can’t solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them.” - Albert Einstein

Installing PHP is a relatively simple task one would think. Indeed it is simple, but configuring the php.ini isn’t; at least not so on Windows Vista! It is infuriating when such a relatively simple task is made inordinately complicated because of the nuances of Vista permissions. What started out as a 5 minute task took a significant number of hours searching for a suitable answer on Google, and not only by myself.

The task I was trying to achieve was the installation of development versions of WordPress, Drupal, MediaWiki and Moodle, all of which would require a MySQL database. Trying to load the MySQL extension should have been a simple case of uncommenting the line in the php.ini and restarting the Apache service. With Vista, this was certainly not the case.

I set up a very simple page detailing the php configuration in an index.php file:

< ?php phpinfo(); ?>

This showed me the default configuration path of my php.ini and extensions directory, amongst a whole host of other information.

In both cases the paths were incorrect. First and foremost the configuration file path stated C:\Windows when in fact I had installed it in the root (C:\PHP5). So, although I was amending the php.ini file with the correct detail, Vista was using the default values. If there is no php.ini file in Windows, then you’ll continue banging your head against a brick wall.

The problems didn’t stop there. Moving the php.ini file to the Windows directory under Vista isn’t a simple copy and paste task. You need to be administrator. But Vista’s administrator priviledges are more pseudo than actual! In order to amend and save the php.ini file in the Windows directory, you must run Notepad as administrator and save the file as such. Voila! Everything then works. The phpinfo() function returned the correct installation detail and I could continue with the job I was meant to be doing.

PS. Thanks to Rob Douglas for his help.

Pre-requisites:

1. Follow my instructions on installing Apache on Windows Vista
2. And then follow my instructions on installing PHP on Windows Vista

Installing PHP with Apache on Windows Vista is a relatively simple task until you try an configure the settings in php.ini. Problems can occur and stem from the fact that when you install PHP and edit the php.ini file, you need to not only be logged in as Administrator, but run the installer and Notepad text editor as Administrator. The php.ini file also needs to be located in the Windows directory.

Below is an outline of the steps to get your PHP installation running and configured correctly.

1. Run Notepad as Administrator. Go to All Programs > Accessories Right-click “Notepad” and select “Run as Administrator”. Open the php.ini file, in my case:

   C:\PHP5\php.ini

2. Edit the php.ini file as necessary, e.g.:

   extension_dir = "C:\PHP5\ext"
   upload_max_filesize = 16M
   upload_tmp_dir = "C:\PHP5\upload"
   session.save_path = "C:\PHP5\session"

3. Enable the extensions you need by deleting the semi-colon at the beginning of the line. For example, you will commonly need the following MySQL extensions:

   extension = php_mysql.dll
   extension = php_mysqli.dll

4. Save the edited php.ini file into your Windows directory. This is very important as Vista will not read the changes but will refer to the default settings.
5. Check that the PHP directory has been added to your computers “Environment Variables”. Click Start, right-click on Computer, select Properties > Advanced > Environment Variables. Click on PATH and select Edit. If the PHP path is there, in my case “C:\PHP5\”, all is well, otherwise add the PHP path.
   • System Properties:

     

   • Environmental Variables

     

   • Edit Environmental Variable - PATH

     

6. Open your Apache configuration file (httpd.conf). Ensure the following lines are present (at the bottom of the file):

   LoadModule php5_module "C:\PHP5\php5apache2_2.dll"
   AddType application/x-httpd-php .php
   AcceptPathInfo on
   PHPIniDir "C:\Windows"

   If there are additional LoadModule lines, remove them, leaving only the one that relates to your version of Apache.

7. Find the DirectoryIndex in the Apache config and append index.php, e.g.:

   <ifmodule dir_module>
   	DirectoryIndex index.html index.php
   </ifmodule>

8. Restart the Apache service.
9. Create a index.php file in your webroot and add the following lines:

   < ?php phpinfo(); ?>

10. Navigate to the file (e.g. http://localhost/index.php) and you will be presented with all the PHP and server settings. You’re now good to go.

1. Download the current version of PHP from http://www.php.net/downloads.php. Get the Windows installer (in my case version 5.2.5).
2. Uninstall any previous versions of PHP. Delete any extraneous remaining directories.
3. Disable antivirus and firewall software.
4. Disable Windows Defender.
5. Disable User Account Control (UAC).
6. Use the command prompt to manually run the PHP installer. Go to All Programs > Accessories Right-click “Command Prompt” and select “Run as Administrator”.

   Browse to the location of the PHP install file e.g.:

   C:\Users\Simon\Desktop\

7. In the command prompt type:

   C:\Users\Simon\Desktop\msiexec /i php-5.2.5-win32-installer.msi

   And hit the [Enter] button.

8. The installer should start and you should see the screenshot below. Click “Next”.

   

9. Read and accept the terms of the license agreement and click “Next”.

   

10. Choose your install folder and click “Next”.

    

11. Choose the web server you wish to setup. In my case I will be using Apache 2.2.x. Click “Next”.

    

12. Browse to the Apache Configuration Directory. In my case this is:

    C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf\

    Click “Next”.

    

13. Choose the items to install. In my case I have chosen to install all items. Click “Next”.

    

14. PHP is now ready to install.

    

15. The installation is now complete. The next task is to configure PHP.