Setup PHP on a Windows 2000 server

[netFusion]

Since a lot of people are having trouble getting SupportSuite running on Windows servers, here is a quick and ditry instruction sheet I put together for setting up PHP on Windows.

Note that as of today's date, I have been unable to get SupportSuite working with PHP in CGI mode on Windows 2000. The last paragraph below tells you how to switch from CGI to ISAPI if you are running Windows 2000 as your platform.

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I am making an assumption here that you have PHP installed on your C: drive in a folder called C:\PHP\. If not, change these instructions accordingly to match your PHP drive and path.

If you have trouble with your PHP.INI settings, see my other post on how I have mine configured to help give you a start.

Now, the easiest thing to do is put all of the necessary files into one folder. PHP seems to be kind of quirky when loading files in subfolders. It seems to be resolved if they are all in a folder that can be found in the search path.

So, copy the files from the following folders into C:\PHP\. Note that I said COPY and not move.

C:\PHP\EXTENSIONS\
C:\PHP\DLLS\
C:\PHP\SAPI\

Yes, copy them ALL into the C:\PHP\ folder so that they can all be found in the search path.


Now, find the user that runs your web site.
1. Log into the server as an administrator.
2. Right click on My computer, left click on manage.
3. Expand Services and Applications
4. Expand Internet Information Services
5. Right click on "YourDomain.com", left click on properties.
6. Left click on the "Directory Security" tab.
7. Under "Anonymous access and authentication control", click on the "Edit" button.
8. To the right of "Account used for anonymous access", click on the "Edit" button.
9. Make note of the "Username" that is listed.
10. Click Cancel, Cancel, and Cancel again to get back out.


That website user needs security permissions in a couple of places.
1. Give that user Read, Write, List, Read & Excecute, and Modify to the C:\TEMP\ folder.
2. Give that user Read, List, and Read & Excecute to the C:\PHP\ folder.
3. Give that user Read, List, and Read & Excecute to the C:\WINDOWS\PHP.INI file. (Make sure you select the file and not the whole Windows folder here.)


Add the PHP folder to the search path.
1. Log into the server as an administrator.
2. Right click on My computer, left click on properties.
3. Left click on the "Advanced" tab.
4. Left click on the "Environment Variables" button.
5. Under "System variables" double click on the "Path" variable.
6. In the "Variable Value" field, go all the way to the right and add ";C:\PHP\" to the end. Note the ";" DOES need to be there.
7. Click on OK, then on OK, then on OK again to get back out.


This is how you set the website to use PHP as CGI.
1. Log into the server as an administrator.
2. Right click on My computer, left click on manage.
3. Expand Services and Applications
4. Expand Internet Information Services
5. Right click on "YourDomain.com", left click on properties.
6. Left click on the Home Directory tab.
7. Left click on the Configuration button.
8. Look in the Application Mappings window for a line that shows .php under the Extension.
9. If there is one, highlite it and click Edit. If there is not one, click Add.
10. In the Executable field, enter "C:\PHP\php.exe". If you do NOT have php installed to C:\PHP, put in your path to it.
11. In the Extension field, enter .php notice the "." in front of it.
12. Verbs, set to "All verbs".
13. Check the boxes for "Script Engine" and "Check that file exists"
14. Left click on OK,then Left click on OK again.
15. Left click on the "ISAPI Filters" tab.
16. If there is one listed for PHP, highlite it and click Remove.
17. Left click on OK, then Left click on OK again to close the properties for the web site.


To change from CGI to ISAPI:
1. Log into the server as an administrator.
2. Right click on My computer, left click on manage.
3. Expand Services and Applications
4. Expand Internet Information Services
5. Right click on "YourDomain.com", left click on properties.
6. Left click on the Home Directory tab.
7. Left click on the Configuration button.
8. Look in the Application Mappings window for a line that shows .php under the Extension.
9. If there is one, highlite it and click Edit. If there is not one, click Add.
10. In the Executable field, enter "C:\PHP\php4isapi.dll". If you do NOT have php installed to C:\PHP, put in your path to it.
11. In the Extension field, enter .php notice the "." in front of it.
12. Verbs, set to "All verbs".
13. Check the boxes for "Script Engine" and "Check that file exists"
14. Left click on OK,then Left click on OK again.
15. Left click on the "ISAPI Filters" tab.
16. Notice this screen. This is where you can tell if the ISAPI is loaded after you reset IIS. Green arrow means loaded, Red arrow means it is not.
17. If there is one listed for PHP, highlite it and click Edit. If there is not one, click Add.
18. Give it a filter name of PHP.
19. In the Executable field, enter "C:\PHP\php4isapi.dll". If you do NOT have php installed to C:\PHP, put in your path to it.
20. Left click on OK, then Left click on OK again to close the properties for the web site.

To go back to cgi, line 10 would b C:\PHP\php.exe and remove the ISAPI Filter defined on line 19.

If you find mistakes or typos, please let me know. You can track me down at my website www.netfusionkc.com or via email.

Hope it helps!

Eddie

[TheDoctor]

Eddie,

Great guide there, which will be a useful resource for people.

Have made this sticky

Regards
Alan

[Bluedevil]

Eddie, thank you for the great directions! I do however have a few issues. my ISAPI filter is in a down state and I do not know how to get it to a green state.
Also I am installing the newest version of PHP, I used the Binary unstall, it looks like the new version does not have

C:\PHP\DLLS
C:\SAPI folders

I dod how ever copy all the files from the C:\PHP\ext folder to the root of PHP.
I'm sorry to ask for help it sounds easy, but I am not a software guy. Please any help would be great! thanks.

[debug]

Eddie, thank you !Great guide

--
Eric

[webmidas]

I am on windows 2003 server.server currently supports aspx, i followed all the steps and everything worked fine. when i type in the url of the php file, a new box pops up and it says me to save the file,after i save the file the screen is blank.
Does you utorial work with MS windows server 2003?

[craigbrass]

That means PHP isn't installed properly. Try redoing it according to the instructions.