Windows 7: Having problems getting started with apache

I am a complete noob regarding apache itself, even tough i already have some experience when using HFS for example, i am having big problems getting a html file on my hard drive showing up. I keep getting the 403 forbidden error or the 404 file not found error... please anyone that understands about apache help me, i already did tons of google searching (and spent several wasted hours that's why i am doing the post as a last resourt) and ALL solutions i found NONE of them solve the problem, i can't understand why is it SO difficult setting up apache, while with other http servers like hfs was so easy... I also fiddled as much as i could the httpd.conf file and it never works.

What guides have you followed for Apache? Are you using a package (like XAMPP) or are you attempting to install Apache, MySQL and PHP separately? Is this for a test environment, or are you trying to run a webserver for external access (IMHO - bad bad bad, unless you have extensive webserver security experience)?

Maybe this guide will help you...I wrote it for PHP but it covers installing and setting up Apache on Windows Vista/7.

Installing PHP (5.3 currently) on Windows - SitePoint Forums

What?? No MySQL tutorial? For shame!

MySQL is a pain in its own right. :P

I need to know, amongst a lot other things to know this because i will take a certificate for a computer technician, and so i have to study by myself the topics they gaved me in a paper, and some of them are :

"install and setup a "apache" web server
manages the websites, users and accesses

Altough since i have to learn how to use this, maybe i could use it for myself as well, even tough i need mostly to share files from my computer with other friends of mine on the internet.

I don't know much about MySQL and PHP, since i only know how to do html editing, so setting up a site is quite new to me.

Ok i will check the guide tomorrow and then i give some feedback, thanks logicearth for this (and yes that's the same version of apache i downloaded)

Are you running Apache on Windows 7? Maybe if we could get some more information on what you are doing...we could lend a hand.

Yes that's right, i am using windows 7 ultimate, and i am using apache (apache_2.2.14-win32-x86-openssl-0.9.8k.msi) and i installed apache.

Now i have just read the guide that was posted here, and i notice that when typing "http://localhost/" the apache server is working correctly after all, the problem is when trying to access it's page from another computer on the internet, using the links i entered in the "network domain" and "server name", because when i try to access the folder using those links i wrote in those fields, i always get a 403 or 404 error, i have tried many things that i found on google to fix this problem, but it never gets fixed, i don't even get any error in apache's log at all!

Unless it's absolutly required to install PHP and install Internet Information Services to be able to someone else acess my page ? (at the moment my webpage is just the index.html since i don't plan on running a website from my computer for real, it's just to learn how to do it for the exams i will have to do to get the certificate).

note : one of the guides i have seen before posting here was http://articles.techrepublic.com.com...1-6048525.html and it doesn't talk about php or iis in there, and also i am unable to access the apache page that way the person did, only the keyword localhost works.

Serving pages to the internet involves a bit more work. Unless you have a domain that is pointed to your home internet IP, it won't be resolved correctly; you'll have to use your external IP address in the browser's address bar (ie: http://214.xx.xxx.xxx). Plus, if you have a router, then most likely it's preventing any access to your internal network from the outside world. You'll have to do some port forwarding to redirect certain ports to whichever computer is running the webserver.

IIS is a Microsoft product - Apache is Apache's product. They both do the same basic thing, and are not required to run the other.

Oh i see... so that's why i could run HFS without any problems, it was because i was using my ip as the adress.

Ok then... what is necessary then to make the domain work ? I mean, i tought apache would already setup the domain and associate to my ip, but if just assumes it's already set up, then what i have to do to make that work ? is this on the guide that logic earth indicated ? I don't seem to find that part. After all, this is the main problem i have here when i posted the topic.