Problem with include_path

HI using: php 4.0.6 /Apache 1.3.12 /Win98se If I set the php include_path in either php.ini or the .htaccess I get: "Warning: Failed opening '/home/chrisbetts/public_html/blank.php' for inclusion (include_path='.;..\include') in Unknown on line 0" i.e. it is failing to load the file it is loading at present (blank.php) ????? I am changing the include path in .htaccess file using: php_value include_path ".;..\include" (this is the only thing in the .htaccess file during testing) Even if I just set it to the default (current directory) value "." I get the same warning. If I do the equivelent on a hosted Linux box it works ok????? i.e. php_value include_path ".:../include" If I move the relevent included files to the same dir as the calling program and remove the include_path ... it works ok??? I am (up to this point sucessfully) mimiking the layout of my clients virtual servers running on different Linux boxes, So I can test complete installations before upload. To do this I am using Apache Virtual Servers each one having its own DocumentRoot pointing to the public_html subdirectory. i.e. in httpd_conf <VirtualHost 127.0.0.2> DocumentRoot /home/chrisbetts/public_html <VirtualHost 127.0.0.3> DocumentRoot /home/anothervs/public_html etc... What I am trying to do is to move certain sensitive data to a safe area out of the public_html subtree. So I now have dirs: /home/chrisbetts/include /home/chrisbetts/public_html /home/anothervs/include /home/anothervs/public_html safe_mode is off I think that this is something to do with not being able to escape from the DocumentRoot ... but not sure!?! As I say it works on the linux virtual servers ... but I am missing something on the windows version! Any Ideas would be a great help. Chris