PHP mysql_connect Access Denied

Hi Newbie here I am running Apache/PHP/MySQL locally which emulates my server environment online. I want to use it as a test environment. I am running through Julie Meloni's 'PHP Fast & Easy...' and have run up against a problem. Using the mysql_connect statement in a php page: <? $connection=mysql_connect("localhost", "threezero", "qwerty00") or die ("could not connect"); if ($connection) { $msg = "success"; } ?> <html> <head> <title>MySQL Connection</title> </head> <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000"> <? echo "$msg"; ?> </body> </html> I get the following error returned in any browser: Warning: MySQL Connection Failed: Can't connect to MySQL server on 'localhost' (10061) in c:\program files\apache group\apache\htdocs\threezero\phptests\dbstuff\db_connect.php on line 2 could not connect This is returned after enetering the following into the 'mysql' database using the MySQL monitor: insert into user (host, user, password) values ('localhost', 'threezero', password('qwerty00'); Querying the table returns the inserted values in the table (the password column being encrypted). I am thinking that there are some potential configuration problems as the php page works in my online server environment (pair networks) Has anyone got an idea where I am going wrong and/or can point me in the right direction? Any help appreciated. TIA Matt Coyne t h r e e z e r o : : : the mill, millstone lane, leicester, le1 5jn e : m@threezero.co.uk :: m : 07747 845690 w : http://www.threezero.co.uk : : : t h r e e z e r o