Title: WordPress 3.8.1 – Permalink Troubles
Last modified: August 21, 2016

---

# WordPress 3.8.1 – Permalink Troubles

 *  Resolved [lwunder145](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lwunder145/)
 * (@lwunder145)
 * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-381-permalink-troubles-2/)
 * Hello there!
 * I’ve been trying to figure out how to get “pretty links” to work on my local 
   development machine. I keep receiving Apache’s 403 error page whenever I try 
   to access the site.
 * I am using Apache 2.4.7 (x64) with PHP configured through mod_fastcgi 2.3.9 (
   also x64); all built for Windows machines.
 * I have direct access to all of Apache’s server configuration files. I use VirtualHosts,
   along with hacks to my hosts file ( to fake DNS registrations on my machine )
   to work with multiple sites at the same time. Below is the current configuration
   for my particular WordPress Installation.
 * [ Excrept ]…
 *     ```
       <VirtualHost 127.0.0.1:80>
           ServerAdmin webmaster@wordpress.test
           DocumentRoot "C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test"
           ServerName wordpress.test
           ServerAlias www.wordpress.test
           ErrorLog "logs/wordpress.test-error.log"
           CustomLog "logs/wordpress.test-access.log" common
   
       	<Directory "C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test">
       		Options FollowSymLinks
       		AllowOverride All
       		Require all granted
       	</Directory>
   
       	<IfModule dir_module>
       		DirectoryIndex index.php
       	</IfModule>
       </VirtualHost>
       ```
   
 * The .htaccess file WordPress generates is writable; here is it’s current configuration:
 *     ```
       # BEGIN WordPress
       <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteBase /
       RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
       RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
       </IfModule>
   
       # END WordPress
       ```
   
 * If you need any additional information; let me know! I’ve been going crazy over
   how to set this up correctly!

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

 *  [Clayton James](https://wordpress.org/support/users/claytonjames/)
 * (@claytonjames)
 * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-381-permalink-troubles-2/#post-4601440)
 * 403 is an access denied error. Usually ownership or permissions related.
    General
   Reference: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_403](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTTP_403)
 * > I’ve been trying to figure out how to get “pretty links” to work on my local
   > development machine.
 * You didn’t mention mod_rewrite, so I will… It’s installed and functioning? Some
   reference material: [Using Permalinks ](http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Permalinks)
 *  Thread Starter [lwunder145](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lwunder145/)
 * (@lwunder145)
 * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-381-permalink-troubles-2/#post-4601487)
 * I do have `mod_rewrite` un-commented through the httpd.conf file ( see below ):
 * [ Excrept ]:
 *     ```
       #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
       ```
   
 * I’ve looked into the access logs for any clues and found this particular message
   for every 403 error encountered:
 *     ```
       [Tue Feb 11 10:42:45.823002 2014]
       [rewrite:error]
       [pid 3184:tid 916]
       [client 127.0.0.1:61127] AH00670:
       Options FollowSymLinks and SymLinksIfOwnerMatch are both off, so the RewriteRule directive is also forbidden due to its similar ability to circumvent directory restrictions :
       C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test/index.php
       ```
   
 *  [Clayton James](https://wordpress.org/support/users/claytonjames/)
 * (@claytonjames)
 * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-381-permalink-troubles-2/#post-4601516)
 * > Options FollowSymLinks and SymLinksIfOwnerMatch are both off, so the RewriteRule
   > directive is also forbidden
 * That might be telling you where you could start troubleshooting.
 * You can try placing this at the very top of your .htaccess file and see if it
   helps. Or if it at least changes the error message.
 * `Options +FollowSymlinks`
 * There might also be more info that could help if you go back and take a look 
   at [Using “Pretty” permalinks](http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Permalinks#Using_.22Pretty.22_permalinks)
 *  Thread Starter [lwunder145](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lwunder145/)
 * (@lwunder145)
 * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-381-permalink-troubles-2/#post-4601600)
 * Changing the httpd-vhosts.conf file to below:
 *     ```
       <VirtualHost 127.0.0.1:80>
           ServerAdmin webmaster@wordpress.test
           DocumentRoot "C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test"
           ServerName wordpress.test
           ServerAlias www.wordpress.test
           ErrorLog "logs/wordpress.test-error.log"
           CustomLog "logs/wordpress.test-access.log" common
   
       	<Directory "C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test">
       		AllowOverride All
       		Require all granted
       	</Directory>
   
       	<IfModule dir_module>
       		DirectoryIndex index.php
       	</IfModule>
       </VirtualHost>
       ```
   
 * …and the .htaccess file to below:
 *     ```
       Options +FollowSymLinks
   
       # BEGIN WordPress
       <IfModule mod_rewrite.c>
       RewriteEngine On
       RewriteBase /
       RewriteRule ^index\.php$ - [L]
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
       RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
       RewriteRule . /index.php [L]
       </IfModule>
   
       # END WordPress
       ```
   
 * This still results in an error 403.
 * I don’t think it would be an issue with permissions, since Apache is running 
   as a service in Windows through a local system account.
 * What is interesting is three successive 403’s that are very close in time to 
   eachother:
 *     ```
       [Wed Feb 12 22:38:08.146163 2014] [rewrite:error] [pid 2832:tid 932] [client 127.0.0.1:51332] AH00670: Options FollowSymLinks and SymLinksIfOwnerMatch are both off, so the RewriteRule directive is also forbidden due to its similar ability to circumvent directory restrictions : C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test/index.php
       [Wed Feb 12 22:38:08.310224 2014] [rewrite:error] [pid 2832:tid 932] [client 127.0.0.1:51332] AH00670: Options FollowSymLinks and SymLinksIfOwnerMatch are both off, so the RewriteRule directive is also forbidden due to its similar ability to circumvent directory restrictions : C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test/index.php
       [Wed Feb 12 22:38:08.334784 2014] [rewrite:error] [pid 2832:tid 932] [client 127.0.0.1:51332] AH00670: Options FollowSymLinks and SymLinksIfOwnerMatch are both off, so the RewriteRule directive is also forbidden due to its similar ability to circumvent directory restrictions : C:/rel/httpd/docs/wordpress.test/index.php
       ```
   
 *  Thread Starter [lwunder145](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lwunder145/)
 * (@lwunder145)
 * [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-381-permalink-troubles-2/#post-4601626)
 * Ok, I found the solution.
 * Recall that:
 * > I am using Apache 2.4.7 (x64) with PHP configured through mod_fastcgi 2.3.9(
   > also x64); all built for Windows machines.
 * The key phrase here was **“with PHP configured through mod_fastcgi 2.3.9”**.
 * The original configuration on how the web server handled .php files is below:
 *     ```
       #
       # Loads the parameters for the Fast CGI Module
       # This module interfaces with PHP
       #
       <IfModule fcgid_module>
           FcgidInitialEnv PATH "C:/rel/php;C:/WINDOWS/system32;C:/WINDOWS;C:/WINDOWS/System32/Wbem;"
           FcgidInitialEnv SystemRoot "C:/Windows"
           FcgidInitialEnv SystemDrive "C:"
           FcgidInitialEnv TEMP "C:/WINDOWS/Temp"
           FcgidInitialEnv TMP "C:/WINDOWS/Temp"
           FcgidInitialEnv windir "C:/WINDOWS"
           FcgidIOTimeout 360
           FcgidIdleTimeout 600
           FcgidConnectTimeout 16
           FcgidMaxRequestsPerProcess 1000
           FcgidMaxProcesses 50
           FcgidMaxRequestLen 8131072
           # Location php.ini:
           FcgidInitialEnv PHPRC "C:/rel/php"
           FcgidInitialEnv PHP_FCGI_MAX_REQUESTS 1000
       </IfModule>
   
       #
       # Ensures that only files ending in the .php extension are processed
       #
       <Files ~ "\.php$>"
         AddHandler fcgid-script .php
         FcgidWrapper "C:/rel/php/php-cgi.exe" .php
         Options ExecCGI
         Require all granted
       </Files>
       ```
   
 * Note that the [files directive](http://httpd.apache.org/docs/2.4/mod/core.html#files)
   for Apache applies configuration options only to specific files matching whatever
   is specified above; in this case, PHP files. Also, note the absence of `FollowSymLinks`
   in the `Options`directive…
 * Once `FollowSymLinks`was added, everything **just worked**!
 * Now, make sure that you do allow Apache to access and tell Apache to read the.
   htaccess file in WordPress’ root directory, or else any changes WordPress makes
   to that file will be ignored.

Viewing 5 replies - 1 through 5 (of 5 total)

The topic ‘WordPress 3.8.1 – Permalink Troubles’ is closed to new replies.

## Tags

 * [apache](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/apache/)
 * [CGI](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/cgi/)
 * [htaccess](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/htaccess/)
 * [permalinks](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/permalinks/)

 * In: [Localhost Installs](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/localhost-installs/)
 * 5 replies
 * 2 participants
 * Last reply from: [lwunder145](https://wordpress.org/support/users/lwunder145/)
 * Last activity: [12 years, 3 months ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wordpress-381-permalink-troubles-2/#post-4601626)
 * Status: resolved

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