Is it possible to load PHP_MSSQL.dll on php 5.3?

Question

I need to get the mssql_connect function available on a machine, and would like to load a newer php distro than 5.2.x

Does anyone know if it is possible to somehow load this driver on aWindows 7(x64) box, using php 5.3 VC9 ?

Googling around led me to believe that it is possible, but the obvious

[PhP_MSSQL(EXPERIMENTAL!!)]
extension=php_mssql.dll

Inclusion in the php.ini file only leads to an error

PHP Startup: Unable to load dynamic library 
'C:\Program Files (x86)\PHP\ext\php_mssql.dll'
- The specified module could not be found.
in Unknown on line 0

Including the ntwdblib.dll lead me to this error:

PHP Warning:  PHP Startup: mssql: Unable to initialize module
Module compiled with build ID=API20090626,TS,VC6
PHP    compiled with build ID=API20090626,TS,VC9
These options need to match

Solution

http://docs.moodle.org/20/en/Installing_MSSQL_for_PHP seems to have a FreeTDS driver for 5.3 VC9, so that seems to have solved my problems. It works too!

I have no doubt it will one day break deep down inside, on some obscure and complex function though.

Comments

[Kev]

Any reason you can't use the MS sanctioned/developed MS SQL PHP drivers (php_sqlsrv.dll)? Or do you have a codebase littered with code using this older lib?

[Alex]

Codebases are fun things...