Joomla Search Engine Friendly URLS (SEF) on WAMP server

If you're using a WAMP server to run Joomla, you probably want to get search engine friendly URL (SEF) settings working as well so that you have human readable URLs. In order to do this, you need to make a couple of changes to your Apache configuration file and enanble the .htaccess file on your system.

If you are using a WAMP server, you need to do the following to be able to use the SEF settings of Joomla.

  1. Use notepad or some other code editor to edit the following file: c:\wamp\bin\apache2.2.11\config\httpd.conf
  2. Your folder may have a different apache version
  3. In the httpd.conf file, search for the text "rewrite".
  4. If there is a # sign at the start of the line, delete the #.
  5. Now, search for the string "None".
  6. Change it to "All" in both places.
  7. Save the file and exit.
  8. In the root directory where Joomla is installed, there should be a file named htaccess.txt. Rename it to .htaccess . The Windows file manager (Explorer) may not let you do this, so you may have to do it from the comand line.
  9. Now, you need to restart your WAMP server. Right click on the WAMP icon in your toolbar and click Exit. Then start WAMP normally as you have always done. Click the Windows Start button | WAMP Server | Start WampServer.

SEF should now work.

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