These are instructions for installing on Windows 7 desktop (they may also be useful for a server install with some thought to security) using individual components rather than a one click installer. This is intended only as a testing/evaluation install via 'localhost'. Proper server configuration and security is not considered.

A week back I got a spanking new Sony Vaio laptop running Windows 7 (64 bit). Its been a sort of tradition with me that the first programs I install on a new computer are Apache web server with PHP and MySQL. I do this even before I setup the email client.

I have been installing and using Apache+PHP+MySQL on Windows operating system since the late 90s, so I suppose I have been around. But there was something new to learn this time. This was a 64 bit computer running Windows 7. Nothing unusual I thought… but was I wrong!