Why doesn't sqlsrv_connect work like before? - php

Question

So I've re-installed my "webserver". It had some OS issues and I decided it was time ! I copied/backed-up the entire WAMP folder and restored it nicely after reinstall. All of that works, just not the site like it should. In essence, the sqlsrv_connect seems not to connect ! It doesn't give me any error output. $conn = sqlsrv_connect($serverName, $connectionInfo); will just come out "false"
My setup :
'''
Windows 7 Enterprise 64 bit SP1
Wamp Version 2.5 (32bit)
Apache Version 2.4.9
PHP Version 5.5.12
MySQL Version 5.6.17
Microsoft SQL Server 2005 (on an external server)
extension=php_pdo_sqlsrv_55_ts.dll
extension=php_sqlsrv_55_ts.dll
'''
the PHP runs just fine in another server. That server however uses IIS.
$serverName = "first.second.third.fourth.fifth";
$connectionInfo = array("Database"=>"Databasename", "UID"=>"Username", "PWD"=>"password");
$conn = sqlsrv_connect($serverName, $connectionInfo);
if (!$conn) {echo "no connection to database/server";}
$sql = "SELECT * FROM Tablename";
$results = sqlsrv_query( $conn, $sql ); if($results === false) {print_r( sqlsrv_errors(), true);}
What I've tried so far :
checked that the server actually can be accessed. Same code works
fine on the IIS server.
tried to restore backups from previous PHP files I had.
checked the PHP.INI file(s) and checked that the sqlsvr extensions
are activated.
tried the same site on another wamp webserver.
Disabled AV to test if it's not maybe the connection/firewall to the SQL server.
checked that admin priv's are on the essential wamp exe's
What am I missing ? I truly think it's a small setting somewhere - just can't figure out where or what ! Maybe it's a setting that allows this system to connect to the SQL server ? This setting is enabled on the IIS server by default... ? Maybe I need to pass additional authentication somehow ?

Answer 1

Firstly, I used this to get the error message :
if( $conn === false ) {
die( print_r( sqlsrv_errors(), true));
}
Then the issue was it needed the ODBC Driver which I got from here:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36434
Downloaded the 64 bit version and installed it and all was working again.