Apache dead after WinXP User Account setup

[ThunderDome808]

I set up Apache web server on my local machine so I could do programming and database testing - The Apache server on my local machine was running great and fully functional. I just recently found out that one of my roommates has been sneaking into my room and using my computer - so, I set up a password on my main user account and selected the option to protect the privacy of my files and folders from being viewed by other accounts on my system. After I made this change - Apache stopped running and I cannot get it to run at all - at first I thought it might be the WinXP firewall blocking it but - I disabled WinXP firewall and still got the same problem. I am not sure what could be causing Apache from not running, any advice???

 

[Wishdiak]

I set up a password on my main user account and selected the option to protect the privacy of my files and folders from being viewed by other accounts on my system

Apache runs as a user account (usually "LocalSystem" I believe) and needs access to files in order to run properly. You have explicitly denied access to files that have your user name as the file owner.

There are some useful instructions on running Apache on Windows at

http://httpd.apache.org/docs/windows.html

and

http://httpd.apache.org/docs-2.0/platform/windows.html#winsvc

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[dipita]

How do I set up Apache on winXP to see all directories? I have set UserDir to "C:/" but whenever I try to access a directory under

http://localhost/xx,

it doesn't give me access. Do all the files have to be under the serverRoot directory (which in my case is the default c:/program files/Apache Group/Apache?)

 

[dipita]

Oops! I meant to put this as a new post - sorry!

 

[Wishdiak]

dipita,

According to

http://httpd.apache.org/docs/mod/core.html#documentroot,

all HTTP requests are relative to the DocumentRoot directive.

"[The DocumentRoot] directive sets the directory from which httpd will serve files. Unless matched by a directive like Alias, the server appends the path from the requested URL to the document root to make the path to the document.
Example:

DocumentRoot /usr/web

then an access to

http://www.my.host.com/index.html

refers to /usr/web/index.html."

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[ThunderDome808]

So how do I get Apache to see the directories again on WinXP?

 

[Wishdiak]

ThunderDome808,

Did you read the relevant documentation in the links above? Are there any errors in your Apache logs or in your Windows Event Viewer?

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com

 

[dipita]

THANK YOU Wishdiak! That allowed me to view my test php file but I do have a follow-up question - on a windows type environment, will you have to store all your web files in one directory (the equivalent of /usr/web in unix?) That is, if I have some files under c:/php and some under c:/abcstore, you won't be able to see them right?

Once again thanks for the tip - was struggling to figure out what I was doing wrong..

 

[Wishdiak]

dipita,

You're very welcome.

In the case that you mention above, VirtualHost containers can be very useful for using more than one DocumentRoot directive.

Such as:

<VirtualHost *>
ServerName php.somedomain.tld
DocumentRoot "C:\php"
</VirtualHost>

<VirtualHost *>
ServerName

http://www.somedomain.tld

DocumentRoot "C:\abcstore"
</VirtualHost>

Or something like that.

http://httpd.apache.org/docs/vhosts/index.html

Wishdiak
A+, Network+, Security+, MCSA: Security 2003

http://www.wishdiak.com