How To Install Apache Web Server On Windows

This article is the first part of our "How to install prerequisites needed for running a self-hosted edition of MIDAS from a Windows server" series.

Information technology applies to cocky-hosted installations of a MIDAS room booking and resource scheduling organization on Windows-based servers only.

This first commodity outlines how to install Apache on Windows. Other web servers (such as Microsoft's Internet Information Services (IIS)) are likewise available for Windows.

Please annotation that this article is provided "as is" and is correct at time of writing. For farther assistance installing or configuring Apache, please refer to the vendor'south own documentation/support.

Footstep ane - Download Apache for Windows

Apache for Windows may be freely downloaded from ApacheLounge.

Both 32-chip (x86) and 64-bit (x64) versions are available, depending upon whether your Windows server runs a 32 or 64-bit version of Windows:

For this guide, we'll assume that the Windows server is running a 64-scrap operating organization, and so we'll download Apache two.4.52 Win64 (httpd-2.iv.52-win64-VC16.zip)

As per the data on the ApacheLounge download folio, you'll also need to ensure that you lot take the relevant C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio installed on your server too. It's possible that this volition already be installed on your system, but if in incertitude, download and run "vc_redist_x64.exe" (for a 64-bit operating system), or "vc_redist_86.exe" (for a 32-bit system) from the links on the ApacheLounge site showtime.

Stride 2 - Unzip

In one case the download has completed, open the downloaded "httpd-2.four.52-win64-VC16.nil" file, and excerpt its contents to a suitable location on your server i.e. C:\Apache24 or D:\Apache, etc

Pace three - Configure Apache

Once you've extracted Apache, we'll need to configure it. Start by locating the file "httpd.conf" (which volition be in the "conf" subdirectory), and open this in a standard text editor.

By default, this configuration file assumes that yous've extracted Apache to C:\Apache24. If even so you've extracted Apache to a different location (i.e. D:\Apache), you'll need to update the ${SRVROOT} variable within in the httpd.conf file to point to the new location accordingly, i.due east:

Define SRVROOT "C:/Apache24" → Define SRVROOT "D:/Apache"

If at that place is no SRVROOT variable nowadays in your httpd.conf file, then instead you'll demand to manually update all instances of "C:/Apache24", i.due east.:

ServerRoot "C:/Apache24" → ServerRoot "D:/Apache"
DocumentRoot "C:/Apache24/htdocs" → DocumentRoot "D:/Apache/htdocs"
<Directory "C:/Apache24/htdocs"> → <Directory "D:/Apache/htdocs">
ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "C:/Apache24/cgi-bin/" → ScriptAlias /cgi-bin/ "D:/Apache/cgi-bin/"

Regardless of where you extracted Apache to, you'll also demand to make the post-obit modifications to the http.conf file:

A) Add "ExecCGI" to "Options" directive:
Locate the post-obit line:
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks
...and append "ExecCGI":
Options Indexes FollowSymLinks ExecCGI
...this tells Apache that CGI/Perl scripts are allowed outside of the cgi-bin directory
B) Locate and uncomment the following line: (by removing the # symbol from the start of the line)
AddHandler cgi-script .cgi
...and also add the post-obit line:
AddHandler cgi-script .pl
...These two lines tell Apache how to handle .cgi/.pl files (i.e. execute them rather than present them to every bit text to a web browser)
C) Add the following line to the cease of the httpd.conf file:
ScriptInterpreterSource Registry
...this allows Apache to ignore the very first line of .cgi/.pl files which direct Apache to the install location of Perl, and instead make up one's mind the location of Perl from the Windows Registry

Step 4 - Offset Apache

Open a Control or PowerShell prompt in the "bin" folder at the location where you extracted Apache (Hold "Shift" whilst correct-clicking and select "Open up command window hither" or "Open PowerShell window here"):

If you opened a command prompt, kickoff Apache by entering the following command:

httpd.exe

If you lot opened a PowerShell prompt, first Apache by entering the following control:

& "D:\Apache\bin\httpd.exe"

(Replace D:\Apache\ with the location where y'all previously extracted your Apache server)

If y'all see a Windows Firewall prompt, allow admission as advisable. If you neglect to allow Apache access through your server'southward firewall, other computers/devices will be unable to connect to your web server, then be sure to allow access appropriately:

If Apache (httpd.exe) fails to start with a "could not bind to accost" mistake, this will probable be due to another service already running on Apache's default port (lxxx). Check that you don't currently have an IIS (Internet Information Services) server already running. If you do, you'll demand to stop/disable IIS in club to run Apache (or change the listening port on either IIS or Apache to permit both services to run concurrently. Yous may demand to refer to the vendor's own documentation for help changing server listening ports).

Step v - Check Apache

With the previous command window still open, open your web browser and navigate to http://127.0.0.1

If Apache is running, y'all should come across the words "It works!" displayed in your browser:

Step 6 - Install as a Windows service:

When you close the control/PowerShell window, Apache will go out.
However, to ensure that Apache is running all the time, it tin quickly be installed every bit a Windows service.
Simply open an administrative control prompt or PowerShell prompt once again, and this time enter the post-obit, for a Command Prompt:

httpd.exe -yard install

...or in a PowerShell Prompt:

Start-Procedure PowerShell -Verb RunAs

This ensures that PowerShell is running as an administrator. Then enter:

& "D:\Apache\bin\httpd.exe" -k install

(Replace D:\Apache\ with the location where you previously extracted your Apache server)You should and so run into a bulletin that the Apache2.4 service has been successfully installed.

You can then kickoff the service by typing:

internet outset Apache2.4

Pace vii - Monitor Apache (optional)

To allow you lot to monitor the current state of your Apache server, as well as allow you to quickly starting time/end/restart the server, Apache comes with a small utility called "Apache Monitor".
Double click ApacheMonitor.exe from the bin folder to run the utility, or place a shortcut to, in your Startup folder then that it automatically runs whenever Windows starts.

TIP: To quickly locate your Startup binder on Windows 10 and later, printing WinKey + R and and then type "shell:startup" (current user) or "beat out:common startup" (all users)