You may want to look into this:
The MiniServer by SourceForge
This is a downloadable package that installs PHP, MySQL, and Apache in no time.
It is the smallest and most functional mini server available.
It is free to download, and is the most convenient option for testing PHP pages locally.
Check it out and follow the instructions. Very simple. If you need help, shoot me an email and I'll send you a step by step list of how to start the miniserver and test pages...
Good Luck, Mike