How to install PHP for IIS on Windows XP?

[Soumen]

I am new to the PHP. I have done little coding, only the basic in PHP which I did at college. Now I want to install it on my personal machine. But I don't know how to install PHP.! I am having Windows XP as my operating system. I have tried to install the PHP by reading the instructions from the Web. But that was not succeeded. So can anyone tell me how to install PHP for IIS on Windows XP? Please help me by giving the proper instructions.!!

[Raine]

For installing the PHP for IIS on the Windows XP, you will have to follow the steps :

1. First, you will have to install IIS 5.1 on Windows XP.
2. Then Go to the Control Panel. In Control Panel select the Add / Remove option. Then click on the "Add/Remove Windows Components". After that check the option "Internet Information Services".
3. Your IIS (Internet Information Service) is now installed. Now you must get the correct files for php5.
4. After downloading PHP, place the files in "C:\php" after extracting the first file that you downloaded. Then extract the PECL modules to "C:\php\ext".
5. You will have to rename the C:\php\php.ini-recommended to C:\php\php.ini and then COPY it to C:\Windows.
6. Open both the php.ini file you have now and uncomment cgi.force_redirect in php.ini and set it to 0.

Hope that after following the above steps you will able to install the PHP for IIS on the Windows XP.

[Sam.D]

You can also follow the instructions given below for installing the PHP on Windows XP :

1. You will have to download the installation file first from the PHP website. You can download it for free of cost.
2. You will have to make a folder or directory on your hard disk for PHP. Then open the folder, you want to save the directory in that you have created. Right-click in open window and then click on the New Folder option. Name the folder "PHP" (for your convenience, otherwise you can name anything). Like the path can be "c:\php5."
3. Then locate and move the files from the sub directory Windows created for PHP in Step1 to the directory created in Step 2. By default the windows places the files in "php-5.x.x-Win32". You can use the normal controls for moving, editing or copying the files.

[chroma]

You can definitely install PHP on Windows XP, if you follow the steps mentioned by the 'Sam.D' or 'Raine'. Sometimes there are some problems in the file "php.ini-recommended" in the directory. For correcting that error, you will have to open that file in Notepad. Replace the following if they are not correct. Look for the "error_reporting" and change it to "error_reporting = E_ALL & ~E_NOTICE". If your scripts don't work as intended, locate "register_globals" and change it to "register_globals = On." Find "register_argc_argv" and change it to "register_argc_argv = On." If your scripts pass information in strings like index.php?var1=value1&var2=value2, replace "doc_root" with the path to your Apache web directory. For example, "doc_root = C:\Apache2\htdocs." Find 'extension_dir"' and change it to 'extension_dir = "C:\php5\ext".' The SMTP line needs to read "SMTP = smtp.yourISP.com". By doing this your error will be certainly fixed.

[ThoMas321]

You can follow the steps if you want to install the PHP on the server. If your server supports PHP then you don't need to do much. Just create some .php files in your web directory, and the server will parse them for you. Most web hosts offer PHP support because it is free. But you will have to install the PHP, if your server does not support PHP. Then you will have to download MySQL Database and Apache Server. Hope that doing this you will be able to use PHP on the server.

[kattman]

I think that you will have to do some more things after following the steps mentioned by the 'Raine' for installing PHP for IIS on Windows XP. You will have to copy all DLL files in C:\php\ext to C:\windows\system32 or add "C:\PHP;" to your Windows path. If you want to add php to your Windows path follow the steps :

1. Choose Properties after right clicking on My Computer icon. Then select the Advanced tab. Then click on the Environment Variables.
2. To very beginning, you will have to add "C:\PHP".
3. Click on the Start button and click on Run. Type regedit in open box and then click OK.
4. You will have to add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PHP\IniFilePath = C:\php to the registry. You will need to restart your computer before php, if you change your windows path instead of copying the dll files. According to me, updating php is easier when you add it to your Windows path.
5. Now you will have to turn to IIS. Open Internet Services Manager in your Administrative Tools in the start menu.
6. Now it is time to let IIS know that you have php and you are going to tell IIS how to use it.
7. Choose properties after doing the right-click on websites. Then go to the Documents tab and add index.php as a start document. Now go to the mappings tab and click on add. Enter .php for the extension and enter "C:\php\php5isapi.dll" in the executable textbox.

After following these steps you can test your program in IIS.