I just installed on my Windows XP an Apache 1.3.29 server (I tried 2.0.48 first and had the same problem) and I installed PHP 4.3.4 and mySQL. When I now try to open a local site on my harddisk, it clearly gives the proper PHP output, and it makes use of the SQL database - so everything seems fine there - but it ignores all variables passed using the URL.

E.g. http://localhost/cantr/index.php gives exactly the same result as http://localhost/cantr/index.php?page=adduser or whatever ...

I would like to set up a local testsite for my website, so this is really a bit problematic ... any clues what might be wrong?

Secondly, but completely unrelated, is the fact that my browser wants to connect to the internet with every single page I open locally - is there something that can be done to avoid this?

for the first question you will need to post (a part) of your script.
it will most likely be a script prolbem.

maybe this is something for the PHP/MySQL forum

the second question..
There are a few things you might want to try
http://desilva.biz/forum/showthread.php?threadid=1215

I agree that what I write sounds like a script problem, but I can guarantee you that it isn't ... That is, this source code has been used rather successfully on a site for a couple of years now. It is only when I move the source from the webserver to my local computer, that it doesn't work.

I'll check out the other thread - thanks!

It has been a while so I am unsure that you don't already know about this; but latest PHP versions are set up to turn REGISTER GLOBALS off by default. That simply means that the above example will work if your PHP script retrieves the variable like this:
You can change this setting either in PHP.INI file, in a .htaccess file (example: [gid=http://www.desilva.biz/apache/regblsoff.html]Working with Register_Globals OFF[/gid]) or just use the extract() function right at the top of your older scripts if you don't want to change anything else inside the script.

Which version of Windows?

Aah, that indeed explains it. So I can simply change the setting and have it solved. (I am definitely not going to change all scripts for this ...)

My windows version is XP, but I assume you mean to ask more detail and for that I will have to look at home first. I'll check it out. But the thread the previous poster referred to also says the same thing, and there the solution was to switch to another browser ...