How to Install Apache 2.4 + PHP 5.6 + MYSQL on Windows

Update 12/27/2018: Follow the updated instruction to setup your environment with the latest version of Apache, PHP, MySQL.

Step 1: Install Apache 2.4

• Download Apache 2.4.10 Win32 (httpd-2.4.10-win32-VC11.zip)
• Install Apache as a service: run command

bin>httpd.exe -k install

• Open browser and type “localhost” to see if it works.

Step 2: Install PHP 5.6

• Download PHP 5.6.3 (VC11 x86 Thread Safe)
• Extract to C:\php
• Re-name ” C:\php\php.ini-development ” to “php.ini”
• Open “php.ini” in Notepad++ and search for extension_dir = “ext” and uncomment it (under on Windows). Then change it to extension_dir = “C:\php\ext”
• Add the following to C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf under #LoadModule xml2enc_module modules/mod_xml2enc.so .For PHP 5 do something like this:

LoadModule php5_module "c:/php/php5apache2_4.dll"
AddType application/x-httpd-php .php

# configure the path to php.ini
PHPIniDir "C:/php"

• Add index.php in httpd.conf as below

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

• Restart Apache
• Create an “index.php” file and place it in “htdocs”
• Open it in browser “localhost/index.php” to see if it works.

Step 3: Install MySQL 5.6.21

• Download MySQL(Windows (x86, 32-bit), MSI Installer)
• Install MySQL using the default option
• Open C:\php\php.ini and uncomment as the following

extension=php_gd2.dll

extension=php_mbstring.dll

extension=php_mysql.dll
extension=php_mysqli.dll

extension=php_pdo_mysql.dll

• Check connectivity of PHP and MySQL, create “mysqltest.php” in “htdocs” and open it in browser

<?php
$servername = "localhost";
$username = "username";
$password = "password";

// Create connection
$conn = new mysqli($servername, $username, $password);

// Check connection
if ($conn->connect_error) {
    die("Connection failed: " . $conn->connect_error);
}
echo "Connected successfully";
?>