register_globals and magic_quotes_gpc (again)

hi, this question is already posted thousand times. but, after I tried for 2 hours to figure it out, I gave up and posted the question here. I'm rebuilding one site. php 4.4.4 as usual, register_globals on, as well as magic_quotes. I tried to turn it off using .htaccess but what ever I change in the (already existing) file, I would get 500 Internal Server Error this is content of the .htaccess file: # -FrontPage- IndexIgnore .htaccess */.??* *~ *# */HEADER* */README* */_vti* <Limit GET POST> order deny,allow deny from all allow from all </Limit> <Limit PUT DELETE> order deny,allow deny from all </Limit> AuthName mkl1332 AuthUserFile /u/web/afan/_vti_pvt/service.pwd AuthGroupFile /u/web/afan/_vti_pvt/service.grp and I tried to add php_flag register_globals Off and it doesn't work (500 internal server error) I tried with register_global 0 - same thing. could you please point me where to look after? thanks for any help. -afan