EDIT:
I just re-read this post, which i submitted last night before falling asleep for the night-- i was dozing off as i typed! it wasn't very easy to understand, so i did a good bit of editing and added to what was here to clear up some things that i had left vague. first, my description of the "steps" i took is a reference to a tutorial which i was following to install Apache, MySQL, and PHP5. i used a tutorial because, even though i had installed PHP4, Apache, and MySQL before, it was a long while ago, so i needed a refresher course.
end edit

I have been using PHP 4.3.10 on a different hard drive w/ Apache 1.x and MySQL v.4.1

after the initial teaks way back when it was first installed, i have not had any problems w/ my configuration on that other system. all it took to get phpMyAdmin to work there, if i recall correctly, was to copy the files from the extracted zip file into my Apache htdocs root, and just like that it worked when i used

http://localhost/phpMyAdmin

now, i have just finished a new, clean install of XP Pro, used Windows update and updated everything (to SP2) before i installed any 3rd party software. then i started following a tutorial to make this a new system on which i would install PHP5, and the current releases of Apache v.2, and MySQL v4.1. as i went along, first installing Apache, then MySQL, then PHP5 w/ the .msi installer, everything installed fine, and going to a file i placed in the Apache webroot w/ the code <?php phpinfo(); ?> (you know the one) i get the proper display showing the settings of my successful PHP installation. but when i tried to go to the next step in this tutorial, which is to log into phpMyAdmin (not that it's necessary, and to be quite frank, i don't really use it as i got used to using the command line for tweaking MySQL), IE shows the phpMyAdmin directory listing instead of the phpMyAdmin login page. if i type in the path to the default page, localhost/phpmyadmin/index.php , i get the following error

cannot load mysql extension;
please check PHP configuration
Documentation

remember, i used the .msi installer for PHP5. i don't see a php.ini file in my c:\php\ folder as i do on my other hard drive's installation of PHP4, but it is residing in a windows system folder. because i wasn't sure which i wanted to use, i also downloaded the PHP5 zip file, so doing a system-wide search for php.ini reveals php.ini.dist and php.ini.recommended in the PHP5 zip archive, but the contents of that zip file is quite different than what i see in the c:\php root, which was created by the PHP5 installer.

any suggestions as to why Apache isn't running phpMyAdmin simply by me typing in the root folder path under the Apache htdocs root (note: this Apache install doesn't have a "webroot" folder under htdocs. i don't recall if i created that in my other istall of apache 1.x, or if it was created by the Apache 1.x installer)? i would just leave it alone, but it bothers me that it's not working as it should, and i fear that perhaps down the line it could become a nightmare if i have a faulty communication between Apache, MySQL, and PHP5.

i hope i made this clear enough for you to understand. i feel like it's kind of a confusing explanation!

thanks for your help.

    Update:

    I found one problem, but it didn't fix anything that i can see, but i am getting a new dialog box popping up, showing new info.
    (note, my previous tutorial used php4 in their example, but apache and mysql were almost same versions as i installed [apache2 and mysql 4.1], but this new tutorial uses php5)

    i opened the file c:\Windows\php.ini
    and uncommented the following lines, as recommended by yet another "installation tutorial" :

    ;extension=php_mbstring.dll
    ;extension=php_mysql.dll

    saved, and restarted apache. now going to localhost/phpMyAdmin , i get the dialog box "PHP Startup: Unable to load dynamic library './php_mbstring.dll' - The specified module could not be found."
    and when i click "ok", i get one more dialog box:
    "PHP Startup: Unable to load dynamic library './php_mysql.dll' - The specified module could not be found."

    oops! and now when i go to my <?php phpinfo(); ?> file in the apache root, i ALSO get those dialog boxes! different that w/ phpMyAdmin in that they pop-up once, then again w/ the first twice in a row, then the second twice in a row, and ultimately, the phpinfo.php file shows up (i know it does, cause i was using IE before, then i tried in Firefox, so it's not a chached page i'm seeing.)

    i'm inclined to put the contents of the php-5.0.5-Win32.zip into my c:\php\ folder, but i assume i must first un-do what was done when i used the PHP 5 .msi installer. suggestions as to how i would successfully do that? any suggestions otherwise?

    thanks!

      Personally I've found that using the zip archive is easier than using the installer. Anyway, at this point I suggest that you check that your extension path is correct to begin with. You should find extension_dir in php.ini, and change it accordingly.

        after a bit of fumbling and careful reading, i realized that i needed to put the files in the folder (for my install) "c:\php\ext\" into the root folder, "c:\php\". i hope it will not cause a problem that i literally copied the files (c:\php\ext\ >select all > copy to...> c:\php\ ), being unsure if any of them needed to stay at their origin.

        phpMyAdmin now works fine. i should be happy. because of this process i learned some stuff-- like the entries i put in:

        start > control panel > system > advanced > environment variables > system variables > path > variable=path, value=;c:\php\

        and also

         ... environment variables > system variables >  new > variable=PHPRC, value=c:\php\

        among a few other things. i changed from php5 as cgi binary to php5 as Apache Module.

        thanks!

          i realized that i needed to put the files in the folder (for my install) "c:\php\ext\" into the root folder, "c:\php\"

          Um, it would have been simpler to change extension_dir to contain "c:/php/ext/" instead. You should have followed the instructions given in the PHP Manual on installing PHP for Apache 2.0.x on Microsoft Windows.

          i hope it will not cause a problem that i literally copied the files (c:\php\ext\ >select all > copy to...> c:\php\ ), being unsure if any of them needed to stay at their origin.

          There shouldnt be a problem.

            laserlight wrote:

            You should have followed the instructions given in the PHP Manual on installing PHP for Apache 2.0.x on Microsoft Windows

            actually, i did, and i visited most every recommended url w/in those instructions, reading closely and taking notes. i did not see anything regarding specific instructions on how to handle the files in the .dll folder. referencing PHP4, the reader is instructed to move the dll's into the root directory, so i thought it didn't apply to my version (unless you mean something different, more regarding php.ini and not the "physical" .dll's). the whole study took at least an hour or more. it must have been an oversight. i admit, however, that i did not read every bit of the php.ini file, which now that i think about it, is at least equally, if not more important that the other resources. i read a lot of it, but not every line.

            it's difficult to extrapolate whether you've scolded me, or if you've offered friendly advice (as is often the case w/ the written word in forums, email, or IM's-- and misunderstandings sometimes result) 😉
            i presume the latter. 🙂

            indeed, i have learned my lesson long ago that it is best to be patient, read what instructions are available, and "if at first you don't succeed, then try, and try again".

            thanks for the help, laserlight. i wonder if i would have fixed this as fast, had it not been for your feedback here. made me realize that i was perhaps too hasty and not thorough enough in my first install attemping-- thinking "well, i've done this before... shouldn't be that difficult!"

              i did not see anything regarding specific instructions on how to handle the files in the .dll folder

              Yeah, I do suppose that it can be hard to find specific information in the installation instructions, but then that's the problem when there are so many ways to install on so many different platforms. Still, if you started with the Manual Installation Steps (as the page that I linked to recommends), you should have chanced upon the link to the Installation of extensions on Windows - but then you started with the installer, so it doesnt make sense for you to have started with the manual installation steps instructions. Oh well, that's why I prefer installing manually from the start 🙂

              it's difficult to extrapolate whether you've scolded me, or if you've offered friendly advice

              Scolded? Now you make me sound like a parent, rather than a fellow PHP user :p

                laserlight wrote:

                Scolded? Now you make me sound like a parent, rather than a fellow PHP user :p

                heehee... well, i guess we must get some fun out of it. 😉

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