Found your site thru W3Schools, gave me new hope (almost ready to give up
on installing Apache..) basically I install Apache (from Apache.org-assume stable version..apache 2.0.54-win32-x86no_ssl) followed install tutorial, used
msi installer (localhost for domain name and server, and "administrator@localhost" for e-mail)...get error message when almost finished, also appears on log: syntax error..."Cannot load C:Web/modules/mod_access.so into server, the specified module could not be found. I don't even know what thay means lol Please someone help, this has been tying me up for days thanx :o

You are in luck! Just Monday, I wrote a step-by-step HOWTO for setting up a WAMP system. That is Windows, Apache, MySql, and PHP. I include instructions to setup phpMyAdmin for managing your database. The tutorial is specific to Windows XP Home and Pro. It is in this Daniweb thread:
http://www.daniweb.com/techtalkforums/thread26579.html

Uninstall what you've done so far, and restart by following my tutorial. Please reply here to let us know how it goes.

By the way, a friend of mine tested the tutorial to set all this up on his Windows XP Home computer. He said he found no problems with my instructions and it took only about 30 minutes to do it. I hope many find it useful. I've asked Dani to make it a standard Tutorial on the site, although I've not heard a reply from her.

OMG...just sitting here (burnt out after trying to install various versions of Apache/php etc- the latest a bundled package of all three, Apache actually loaded, but there was a file saying I should actually get php sepearately and manually load it ahhhh...was up until 3 a.m. an no more enlightened...you are an angel!! will get to the bottom of this once and for all, but I hope u don't mind a pest because after it's all loaded, then I'm not sure what to do with it lol!!! Thanx again Troy

Thank you so much TROY!!! Have gone from 'this is a totally foreign country what am I doing messing with stuff like this" to, hmmm, some things starting to sink in, anyway, I have Apache installed, and after doing everything you said, I get the "Hello world' test page when I put http://localhost in browser...can't believe it, now on to PHP etc. one thing, don't know how I have 2 apaches running, I swear I uninstalled apache (add remove programs) and the program files (apache group) every 101 times (almost lol) I installed it and didn't work...oh well it works yippeee

Me again (the pest)..having a problem rite off the bat with php install..winrarred the php dld into a folder (C:/php/php50) but when right clicked on the php.in recommended file, and copied it, then tried to rename it as php.ini, it said I couldn't do this because php.ini already existed grrrr!!

Glad my instructions for getting Apache installed, configured, and tested worked for you! You are 25% there, my friend! Chin up!

First, unless you know what you are doing, and you obviously don't--right? Please unzip the PHP zip file into a folder named c:\php --not c:\php\php50. That is, create a new, empty folder named "php" on the root of your C:\ drive. Unzip the php zip file into it. MAKE SURE you unzip only the one file from php.net as instructed in the tutorial. For our purposes, do not download the other files they offer. Do not use the installer file.

Once unzipped to c:\php, you should not see a php.ini file in there. The zip file (at least the one I downloaded Monday) does not include a php.ini file. Rename php.ini-recommended to php.ini. If a php.ini exists already, then rename it to php.ini-OLD before making the new php.ini file. Continue with the HOWTO.

Thanx Troy..will try the PHP again (ya, I DON'T know what I'm doing, am counting on 'osmosis'...actually just doing it over and over and ..... :mrgreen:

c:\Program Files\Apache Group\Apache2\conf\httpd.conf is the active conf file you should edit. Keep attacking this--small steps at a time. You'll get it working.

Sorry, I didn't edit that silly message quick enuff, didn't want to waste your time, currently I have the Apache working again (phew) but don't know why it always says I have TWO on the system tray (one is usually on, and one is off, I make sure both are off when I do work on files...and turn ONE back on afterwards, although it's frustrating to see that error pop-up after I go through all the instructions for installing php..."cannot complete...operation has failed" arrggghh

You should be able to go into your Windows Control Panel, select Add/Remove Programs, and select to uninstall Apache. Since it's really easy to install and do the basic config, I recommend you uninstall Apache completely, then restart. Having two installations may be messing you up--it's definitely confusing, and since you are having trouble, let's get things cleaned up, then continue.