Installing WordPress FAQ

1. I can’t find the hosts file, what do I do?
2. How do I edit the .htaccess file?
3. Why can’t I access my local site from the internet?
4. Will my computer be accessible to the internet?
5. I can’t connect to my local site, what’s the problem?

I can’t find the hosts file, what do I do?

The hosts file should live in C:windowssystem32driversetchosts. If you do not have a file here then just create it using a text editor.

How do I edit the .htaccess file?

Some good text editors are:

• Notepad++ (Windows)
• UltraEdit (Windows)

Notepad has difficult saving files that start with a period.

Why can’t I access my local site from the internet?

You can’t. The guide only gives details on how to access your local site from your local computer. Putting your local site onto the internet is beyond the scope of the guide, and is not something you should do without being fully aware of the implications.

Will my computer be accessible to the internet?

Generally, no. If you are connected to the internet through a router then you are already safe. Regardless, you should always use some kind of firewall to protect yourself.

I can’t connect to my local site, what’s the problem?

There are a variety of reasons this may occur:

1. The server did not start correctly. Check WAMP error logs.
2. Some other software is running on the same ports as WAMP. Typical trouble-makers are Skype and MSN, which can use port 80 (the same port that Apache uses by default)
3. Your firewall is blocking the connection. Check your firewall logs and reconfigure it to allow your own computer to have access to port 80.