Create WAMP server with Virtual PC

WAPM is an acronym for Web Server based on Apache, PHP and MySQL installed on Windows. Virtual PC is a free software from Microsoft, that enables you to play with out of box environments. It is assumed that Virtual PC is already installed. Than next is:

1. Install operating system, for me I do prefer of Windows 2000.
2. Simplify interaction and improve performance with Virtual PC by installing Virtual Machine Additions.
3. Absolutely necessary is to install Windows 2000 Service Pack 4.
Otherwise latest Apache installation will fail.
4. Install Internet Explorer 6 or latest FireFox. To work with local host environments.
5. Install Apache, and my choice is latest version Apache 2.2
Provide valid email address for administrator, otherwise Apache will fail to start. Create web site folder like "c:\www", and configure Apache to use it by editing httpd.conf file.
6. Install MYSQL 5.0.48, add select check box "add mysql to environment variables"
Create the database from a command line
mysqladmin -u USERNAME -p create DATABASE
Import the backup data
mysql -u USERNAME -p DATABASE < FILENAME.mysql
7. Install GUI for MySQL 1.12
8. Install PHP 5.2.3
Configure to use extentions GD2 and MySQL
9. Install PHP editor Notepad++
A. Optional is to install debugging framework like xdebug 2.0.0

Created virtual machine file could be cloned and reused with multiple development environments.

Using Pointing Device on Dell laptop will make Virtual PC consistently crash.

With MySQL 4.4.8 possible error could be shown on start of Apache - "could not locate libmysql.dll". Simple reboot of virtual system may solve the problem.