Can't get PHP5 to load mySQL extension

[jotate]

I followed all the directions in this thread: http://www.phpfreaks.com/forums/index.php/topic,95378.0.html

 

Currently, my httpd.conf has this line:

 

PHPIniDir "C:\php"

 

Despite that, it's searching for Configuration (php.ini) file in "C:\WINDOWS".  On top of that, I copied php.ini over to C:\WINDOWS and it's still says "(none)" for the Loaded Configuration File.  Removing php.ini from C:\WINDOWS causes PHP to stop working at all.  Putting php.ini into C:\php causes PHP to stop working at all.  Changing the state of anything related to php.ini's existence in C:\WINDOWS or nonexistence in C:\PHP breaks the PHP and just gets the source spit to the browser as unrecognized HTML.

 

display_errors and display_startup_errors are both On (according to the php.ini file that is apparently not being loaded) and outputting nothing (not surprising considering it's apparently not being loaded).

 

C:\PHP is added to my PATH, libmysql.dll is in the WINDOWS folder.

 

Basically, as far as I can tell, PHP is working despite not loading a configuration file.  Any attempts to make it find a working configuration file are either ignored despite what's in httpd.conf or they cause PHP to stop working and just spit source to the browser.

 

I'm fried on this issue.  ???