Getting HTTP 403 (Forbidden) Error on PHP Scripts

What is causing the HTTP 403 (Forbidden) error when running PHP scripts with PHP CGI configuration?

✍: FYIcenter

If you followed the installation instructions provided by the PHP package to configure Apache server to run PHP scripts as CGI scripts, you will most likely get this HTTP 403 (Forbidden) error when running PHP scripts. This tutorial explains the issue and helps you to fix it.

1. Enter and save the following PHP script as C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\my_first.php.

<html>
<body>
This is <?php echo "my first PHP script"; ?>.
</body>
</html>

2. Run a Web browser with http://localhost:8080/my_first.php. You will probably get a HTTP 403 (Forbidden) error like this: Apache PHP HTTP 403 Error

3. There is no permission problem with my_first.php, because it is located in the document root directory. The problem is the permission of running php-cgi.exe.

4. Open in "notepad" Apache server error log file at: C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\logs\error.log. You should see line like this:

[...] [error] [client 127.0.0.1] client denied by server 
   configuration: C:/Program Files/php-5.2.0-Win32
   /php-cgi.exe

5. The cause of the problem is that C:/Program Files/php-5.2.0-Win32 is defined as script directory in the Apache server configuration, but no permission is given to that directory. This is a mistake in the PHP installation guide.

6. Open in "notepad" Apache server configuration file at: C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\conf\httpd.conf. Review and enter the following directory definition:

<IfModule alias_module>
...
   ScriptAlias /php/ "C:/Program Files/php-5.2.0-Win32/"
</IfModule>
...
<Directory "C:/Program Files/php-5.2.0-Win32/">
    AllowOverride None
    Options None
    Order allow,deny
    Allow from all
</Directory>
...
<IfModule mime_module>
...    
    AddType application/x-httpd-php .php 
</IfModule>

8. Restart your Apache server, the HTTP 403 error should be gone. Follow our Configuring Apache for PHP Scripts tutorial for more explanations.

2013-01-23, 79357👍, 2💬