[apache] .htaccess: Invalid command 'RewriteEngine', perhaps misspelled or defined by a module not included in the server configuration

I have this error when trying to browse php files locally

[Fri Apr 13 19:16:40 2012] [alert] [client 127.0.0.1] C:/AppServ/www/hr-website/.htaccess: Invalid command 'RewriteEngine', perhaps misspelled or defined by a module not included in the server configuration, referer: http://127.0.0.1/

what is the problem ?

Under Apache 2+ you can simply do as below (Using Linux Terminal):

sudo a2enmod rewrite && sudo service apache2 restart

or

sudo a2enmod rewrite && sudo /etc/init.d/apache2 restart

This error occurred for me because mod_rewrite was not enabled. Everything worked fine after enabling the rewrite module: https://www.debuntu.org/how-to-enable-apache-modules-under-debian-based-system-page-2/

Just Follow Simple 1-2-3 Steps :

1) Go to Taskbar

2) Click on WAMP icon (Left Click)

3) Now Go to Apache > Services > Apache Module and check Rewrite_module is enable or not ! if its not then click on it ! WAMP will be automatically restarted and you're done !

I can see that your using AppServ, mod_rewrite is disabled by default on that WAMP package (just googled it)

Solution:

Find: C:/AppServ/Apache/conf/httpd.conf file.

and un-comment this line #LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so

Restart apache... Simplez

Also make sure php is enabled by uncommenting the

LoadModule php5_module libexec/apache2/libphp5.so

line that comes right after

LoadModule rewrite_module libexec/apache2/mod_rewrite.so

Make sure both those lines in

/etc/apache2/httpd.conf

are uncommented.

This comment from verybadbug under question helped me:

ln -s /etc/apache2/mods-available/rewrite.load /etc/apache2/mods-enabled/rewrite.load

After that we need restart Apache:

sudo service apache2 restart

Steps to start Apache httpd.exe (I am using x64 VC11 example here)

http://www.apachelounge.com/download/VC11/

Be sure that you have installed Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2012 : VC11 vcredist_x64/86.exe

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30679

You may need to have Visual Studio 2012 Update 3 (VS2012.3)

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=30679 (vcredirect.exe)
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2835600

Unzip httpd-2.4.4-win64-VC11.zip and copy paste in

C:\Apache24

Unzip modules-2.4-win64-VC11.zip and copy paste them in

C:\Apache24\modules

http://www.apachelounge.com/viewtopic.php?p=25091

For further info on the modules see the Apache Lounge VC10 Win64 download page and/or the readme in the .zip's there.

http://www.apachelounge.com/download/win64/

In

C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf

un-comment (remove # sign) starting below this like copy pasted list in here

# Example:
# LoadModule foo_module modules/mod_foo.so

LoadModule access_compat_module modules/mod_access_compat.so
LoadModule actions_module modules/mod_actions.so
LoadModule alias_module modules/mod_alias.so
LoadModule allowmethods_module modules/mod_allowmethods.so
LoadModule asis_module modules/mod_asis.so
LoadModule auth_basic_module modules/mod_auth_basic.so
LoadModule auth_digest_module modules/mod_auth_digest.so
LoadModule authn_anon_module modules/mod_authn_anon.so
LoadModule authn_core_module modules/mod_authn_core.so
LoadModule authn_dbd_module modules/mod_authn_dbd.so
LoadModule authn_dbm_module modules/mod_authn_dbm.so
LoadModule authn_file_module modules/mod_authn_file.so
LoadModule authn_socache_module modules/mod_authn_socache.so
LoadModule authnz_ldap_module modules/mod_authnz_ldap.so
LoadModule authz_core_module modules/mod_authz_core.so
LoadModule authz_dbd_module modules/mod_authz_dbd.so
LoadModule authz_dbm_module modules/mod_authz_dbm.so
LoadModule authz_groupfile_module modules/mod_authz_groupfile.so
LoadModule authz_host_module modules/mod_authz_host.so
LoadModule authz_owner_module modules/mod_authz_owner.so
LoadModule authz_user_module modules/mod_authz_user.so
LoadModule autoindex_module modules/mod_autoindex.so
LoadModule buffer_module modules/mod_buffer.so
LoadModule cache_module modules/mod_cache.so
LoadModule cache_disk_module modules/mod_cache_disk.so
LoadModule cern_meta_module modules/mod_cern_meta.so
LoadModule cgi_module modules/mod_cgi.so
LoadModule charset_lite_module modules/mod_charset_lite.so
LoadModule data_module modules/mod_data.so
LoadModule dav_module modules/mod_dav.so
LoadModule dav_fs_module modules/mod_dav_fs.so
LoadModule dav_lock_module modules/mod_dav_lock.so
LoadModule dbd_module modules/mod_dbd.so
LoadModule deflate_module modules/mod_deflate.so
LoadModule dir_module modules/mod_dir.so
LoadModule dumpio_module modules/mod_dumpio.so
LoadModule env_module modules/mod_env.so
LoadModule expires_module modules/mod_expires.so
LoadModule ext_filter_module modules/mod_ext_filter.so
LoadModule file_cache_module modules/mod_file_cache.so
LoadModule filter_module modules/mod_filter.so
LoadModule headers_module modules/mod_headers.so
LoadModule heartbeat_module modules/mod_heartbeat.so
LoadModule heartmonitor_module modules/mod_heartmonitor.so
LoadModule ident_module modules/mod_ident.so
LoadModule imagemap_module modules/mod_imagemap.so
LoadModule include_module modules/mod_include.so
LoadModule info_module modules/mod_info.so
LoadModule isapi_module modules/mod_isapi.so
LoadModule lbmethod_bybusyness_module modules/mod_lbmethod_bybusyness.so
LoadModule lbmethod_byrequests_module modules/mod_lbmethod_byrequests.so
LoadModule lbmethod_bytraffic_module modules/mod_lbmethod_bytraffic.so
LoadModule lbmethod_heartbeat_module modules/mod_lbmethod_heartbeat.so
LoadModule ldap_module modules/mod_ldap.so
LoadModule logio_module modules/mod_logio.so
LoadModule log_config_module modules/mod_log_config.so
LoadModule log_debug_module modules/mod_log_debug.so
LoadModule log_forensic_module modules/mod_log_forensic.so
LoadModule lua_module modules/mod_lua.so
LoadModule mime_module modules/mod_mime.so
LoadModule mime_magic_module modules/mod_mime_magic.so
LoadModule negotiation_module modules/mod_negotiation.so
LoadModule proxy_module modules/mod_proxy.so
LoadModule proxy_ajp_module modules/mod_proxy_ajp.so
LoadModule proxy_balancer_module modules/mod_proxy_balancer.so
LoadModule proxy_connect_module modules/mod_proxy_connect.so
LoadModule proxy_express_module modules/mod_proxy_express.so
LoadModule proxy_fcgi_module modules/mod_proxy_fcgi.so
LoadModule proxy_ftp_module modules/mod_proxy_ftp.so
LoadModule proxy_html_module modules/mod_proxy_html.so
LoadModule proxy_http_module modules/mod_proxy_http.so
LoadModule proxy_scgi_module modules/mod_proxy_scgi.so
LoadModule ratelimit_module modules/mod_ratelimit.so
LoadModule reflector_module modules/mod_reflector.so
LoadModule remoteip_module modules/mod_remoteip.so
LoadModule request_module modules/mod_request.so
LoadModule reqtimeout_module modules/mod_reqtimeout.so
LoadModule rewrite_module modules/mod_rewrite.so
LoadModule sed_module modules/mod_sed.so
LoadModule session_module modules/mod_session.so
LoadModule session_cookie_module modules/mod_session_cookie.so
LoadModule session_crypto_module modules/mod_session_crypto.so
LoadModule session_dbd_module modules/mod_session_dbd.so
LoadModule setenvif_module modules/mod_setenvif.so
LoadModule slotmem_plain_module modules/mod_slotmem_plain.so
LoadModule slotmem_shm_module modules/mod_slotmem_shm.so
LoadModule socache_dbm_module modules/mod_socache_dbm.so
LoadModule socache_memcache_module modules/mod_socache_memcache.so
LoadModule socache_shmcb_module modules/mod_socache_shmcb.so
LoadModule speling_module modules/mod_speling.so
LoadModule ssl_module modules/mod_ssl.so
LoadModule status_module modules/mod_status.so
LoadModule substitute_module modules/mod_substitute.so
LoadModule unique_id_module modules/mod_unique_id.so
LoadModule userdir_module modules/mod_userdir.so
LoadModule usertrack_module modules/mod_usertrack.so
LoadModule version_module modules/mod_version.so
LoadModule vhost_alias_module modules/mod_vhost_alias.so
LoadModule watchdog_module modules/mod_watchdog.so
LoadModule xml2enc_module modules/mod_xml2enc.so

Then find

C:\Apache24\bin\ApacheMonitor.exe

and double click on it.

Then in Command Prompt (CMD.exe) type

C:\Apache24\bin\httpd.exe

and press enter. It shows any error remaining.

Build with the latest Update 3 Visual Studio® 2012 aka VC11. VC11 has improvements, fixes and optimizations over VC10 in areas like Performance, MemoryManagement and Stability. For example code quality tuning and improvements done across different code generation areas for "speed". And makes more use of modern processors and win7, win8, 2008 and Server 2012 internal features.

The VC11 binaries loads VC11, VC10 and VC9 modules, and does not run on XP and 2003. Minimum system required: Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8 / 8.1, Windows Vista SP2, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1, Windows Server 2012 / R2

After you have downloaded and before you attempt to install it, you should make sure that it is intact and has not been tampered with. Use the PGP Signature and/or the SHA Checksums to verify the integrity.

Thank you