i want to learn php, but i dont know how to configure, ect.... and my os is (i know, i know) windows xp. is there an all-in-one download/install that can do all that for me... help!

um... why do you need to configure anything? There's a windows installer package.

http://us3.php.net/get/php-5.1.1-ins.../from/a/mirror

Look into the ultimate server package its a simple zip file but you run the batch file and it gets php and mysql support enabled on yer computer. Also php is not that hard to install. Just look at getting Apache webserver then get the latest php at php.net and add three lines in your httpd.conf file. Its all in the readme.txt once you unzip php.
Itll be
LoadModule something
Addtype your extensions
PHPinin dir "c:\whatever"


It will be enabled after that if you load 127.0.0.1 in your browser and have php script in your htdocs dir

I recommend w3schools.org for the tutorial

w3schools.com rules, i learned html from them

The simplest way is to install a full package with all software you need.
The best I know is XAMPP, it has Apache, MySQL, PHP, Perl and many more.
You can take it from: http://www.apachefriends.org/
It's a simple click...click installation and it's ready
Works both, on Linux and Windows.

Regards, Boby.