Hi, I have installed MySQL 5.1.52, Apache 2.2.15 and PHP 5.3.2 on my Windows Vista computer. The MySQL works fine with the command line client and I have tested the Apache and PHP and it appears fine when I test this with the phpinfo() function. There is just one exception - I cannot connect to a MySQL database from within a PHP script. I have installed the MySQLi extension With a simple script such as: <?php $link = mysqli_connect('localhost', 'user', 'my_password', 'my_db'); if (!$link) { die('Connect Error: ' . mysqli_connect_error()); } ?> I receive the following error message in the php error log: [06-Jan-2011 16:38:35] PHP Warning: mysqli_connect(): [2002] A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not (trying to connect via tcp://localhost:3306) in C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\php\connect_error.php on line 19 [06-Jan-2011 16:38:35] PHP Warning: mysqli_connect(): (HY000/2002): A connection attempt failed because the connected party did not properly respond after a period of time, or established connection failed because connected host has failed to respond. in C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\php\connect_error.php on line 19 [06-Jan-2011 16:38:35] PHP Fatal error: Maximum execution time of 30 seconds exceeded in C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs\php\connect_error.php on line 19 My php.ini file has the following lines re extensions : [PHP_LDAP] extension=php_ldap.dll [PHP_MYSQLI] extension=php_mysqli.dll [PHP_OPENSSL] extension=php_openssl.dll and there are no error message that it cannot find the extension. These are in the windows path and in the extension directory specified in php.ini I have checked the firewall but it seems to be ok and the mysql server and apache server on the same machine. I have installed this correctly in the past but am having no luck with this installation. Any hints of where to look and what to try would be most welcome. regards Mike michaelgmanning@xxxxxxxxx