How to Install PHP on a Windows 7

Download the required software.

• Download PHP at www.php.net/  
• Download Apache at http://www.apache.org/  
• Download MySQL at http://www.mysql.com/   

Unzip these three files.

Install three software one by one. First MySQL, then Apache, and PHP last. MySQL is a database software which contains data. Apache is a server and PHP is the language that you will learn and use.

Install MySQL. Remember the username and password you entered because you can’t enter your database system without the username and password. Follow the instructions step-by-step. Install MySQL first because MySQL don't need to configure the environment. You just follow the instructions and you can install it correctly.

Install Apache. Open the file and follow the instructions. Do not change anything because if you do, you have to change a lot of things in the future. That will cause you problems if you are a beginner at all this.

Open your web browser and type ‘localhost’ as the address. If it shows ‘It works!’, that means you have successfully installed the Apache. Then you can go on to the next step.

Unzip the PHP file and copy it to the C disk. Rename the folder as ‘php’. It’s easy to remember when so named.

Find the file named ‘httpd.conf’ at ‘C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf’. Edit it with Notepad++. Add two important sentences at the end of file: ‘LoadModule php5_module C:/php/php5apache2_2.dll’ ‘AddType application/x-httpd-php .php’. Do not forget to save the file. Close the notepad and restart the Apache.

Open the htdocs folder at ‘C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2’. Create a new file called ‘test.php’. Open it with Notepad and enter the following contents: Don't forget to save.