i search the forum before posting and couldnt find a solution that works first off i cannot change my php.ini, because my host doesnt allow me to.. ive requested it to be changed, but no reply yet, and i read somewhere hosts dont like changing it.. anyway im on linux hosting and my phpinfo says Server API - CGI so im guessing its the cgi version of php (?) ive tried adding the changes to a .htaccess file and get a 500 error, but then read later that it doesnt work on the cgi version of php.. now ive read that i can make another php.ini in my webs root and add upload_max_filesize = 10M to it but that makes other things on my site not work... i dont change anything other then upload the php.ini is there anywhere in the phpinfo that will tell me that a new php.ini wont work? im thinking the servers reading it but not working properly... but im completly confused ??? also is there a setting i can stick in the new php.ini that will tell me if the new php.ini is working without causing to much hassle? cheers Neddy EDIT: even if i upload an empty php.ini other parts of my site stop working properly... EDIT2: ive added all the settings that can be changed by PHP_INI_PERDIR session.use_trans_sid = 0 zlib.output_compression = 0 allow_call_time_pass_reference = 1 asp_tags = 0 magic_quotes_gpc = 1 output_buffering = 0 output_handler = NULL register_argc_argv = 1 register_globals = 1 short_open_tag = 1 arg_separator.input = & auto_append_file = NULL auto_prepend_file = NULL upload_max_filesize = 10M post_max_size = 15M always_populate_raw_post_data = 0 and my pages seem to be working properly but that doesnt change the upload_max_filesize ???