How To Enable mod_rewrite in XAMPP and WAMP

mod_rewrite is a powerful Apache module that allows web developers to manipulate URLs easily by enabling redirection and rewriting rules. If you are using XAMPP or WAMP to run your Apache web server locally, enabling mod_rewrite is a straightforward process.

In this guide, we will walk through the steps to enable mod_rewrite in both XAMPP and WAMP.

Enabling mod_rewrite in XAMPP

Step 1: Open httpd.conf

Navigate to the location where XAMPP is installed on your system. The default path is `C:\xampp\apache\conf`. Locate the `httpd.conf` file and open it in a text editor.

Step 2: Enable mod_rewrite

Look for the following line in the `httpd.conf` file:

#LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Uncomment this line by removing the `#` at the beginning, making it:

LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Next, find all occurrences of:

AllowOverride None

Change them to:

AllowOverride All

Step 3: Restart XAMPP

Save the changes to the `httpd.conf` file and restart the XAMPP server to apply the configuration.

Enabling mod_rewrite in WAMP

Step 1: Open httpd.conf

Navigate to the location where WAMP is installed on your system. The default path is `C:\wamp\bin\apache\Apache2.2.11\conf`. Locate the `httpd.conf` file and open it in a text editor.

Step 2: Enable mod_rewrite

Similarly to XAMPP, look for the following line:

#LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Uncomment this line by removing the `#` at the beginning:

LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Change all occurrences of:

AllowOverride None

to:

AllowOverride All

Step 3: Restart WAMP

Save the changes to the `httpd.conf` file and restart the WAMP server to apply the configuration.

That’s it! You have successfully enabled mod_rewrite in both XAMPP and WAMP. Now, you can use mod_rewrite to implement URL redirection and URL rewriting as needed for your local development environment. This is particularly useful when you want to simulate your website’s URL structure or test various redirects during the development phase.

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