Cannot load module php_mysql.dl!!

Jonathan, this appears to be an FAQ. LOts of people have the same problem, here's my commentary from a couple of weeks ago- Regards: Colin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I spent some time experimenting with this to get it working, and came to some interesting conclusions, which the docs don't always help you with. Here's what I found- * The libmySQL.dll (note capitalisation) that comes with the mysql install will NOT work with Apache/PHP, at least with the versions I have. Only the libmysql.dll shipped with the PHP install works. I don't know what the reason is, it could be a version mismatch or maybe mysql and PHP are built using different compilers, but it's a problem. * I think if the lib shipped with mysql is first in your search path (but see below), it prevents the PHP-shipped one being seen, and prevents the module loading. * Some apps install elements in the path using shell variables, i.e.-

  PATH Entry                                       Resolves To
  -------------                                       ------------
  %SystemRoot%\system32                 C:\WINDOWS\system32
  %ProgramFiles%\PHP                      C:\Program Files\PHP

It looks like Apache and/or PHP have a problem with this, and fail to load DLLs if their path is specified using a variable. If you list the path directories explicitly, i.e.- C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\Program Files\PHP it works ok. I can now keep my libmysql.dll file in the PHP install directory, rather than putting a copy in WINDOWS\system32. Nett of all this, is (for me), to get a working system I have: 1) In Apache httpd.conf: # # PHP 5 Support. # LoadModule php5_module "C:/Program Files/PHP/php5apache2.dll" AddType application/x-httpd-php .php 2) System PATH: C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\Program Files\MySQL\bin;C:\Program Files\PHP 3) In C:\WINDOWS\php.ini: extension_dir = "C:\Program Files\PHP\ext" extension=php_mysql.dll 4) In C:\Program Files\PHP:

    The libmysql.dll supplied with the  PHP install.

Overall this is more than a bit obscure and error-prone. My initial impression is that Apache 2 is still fairly "green", for instance on my machine after a couple of basic edits of the httpd.conf file I now find the server will crash if I use the Stop or Restart functions of the Apache Service Monitor. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -