If you want to learn PHP or if you are a PHP programmer then running Apache server in your work PC makes your life lot easy. Installing Apache web server in a windows XP machine is not hard. Here I’m explaining how to install Apache on windows XP step by step with screen prints to understand things better. If you are a experienced php developer you might find some steps are too easy and unnecessary but I’m mainly targeting this for starters. I know how hard it was when it tried to do it by my self without taking any help. It was still hard even trying to follow online tutorials because most authors had skiped some steps and some had forgotten some important steps. So lets do it step by step and Install/configure Apache Web server in XP.

01. Download apache http server from www.apache.org ( version 2.2.9 win32 windows installer ). Download the one called ” Win32 Binary without crypto (no mod_ssl) (MSI Installer) “.

02. Run the installer file.

03. Follow Steps shown in Screen prints

If everything has gone well then you will see Apache Monitor Button in your system tray with a green arrow in middle of it. Like in the screen shot below.

To make sure web server is working well. Goto your web browser and type http://localhost/ or http://127.0.0.1. You will see apache default page if you have installed it correctly !

Well if you want to put your web pages then goto the folder called “htdocs” inside Apache folder. But still you can’t use php files since you haven’t installed and configured php yet !