title: How do I install ionCube on an Azure Web Site?
body: <p>I am trying to follow the instructions under <a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/b/silverlining/archive/2012/09/17/using-custom-php-extensions-in-windows-azure-web-sites.aspx" rel="nofollow">Using Custom PHP Extensions in Windows Azure Web Sites</a> to enable the ionCube extension for PHP running within an Azure Web Site. Here's what I did:</p>
  
  <ol>
  <li>Downloaded the Windows VC9 (Non-TS) (x86) loader from the <a href="http://www.ioncube.com/loaders.php" rel="nofollow">ionCube loader download page</a>.</li>
  <li>Created a directory at /site/wwwroot/bin</li>
  <li>FTP'd <code>ioncube_loader_win_5.3.dll</code> to that directory.</li>
  <li>Under "app settings" in the Azure portal for the web site I added <code>PHP_EXTENSIONS</code> with value <code>bin/ioncube_loader_win_5.3.dll</code>.</li>
  <li>I loaded <a href="http://my.azure.website/info.php" rel="nofollow">http://my.azure.website/info.php</a> and verified that the Environment table included <code>PHP_EXTENSIONS</code> = <code>bin/ioncube_loader_win_5.3.dll</code>. It also contains <code>APPSETTING_PHP_EXTENSIONS</code> = <code>bin/ioncube_loader_win_5.3.dll</code>.</li>
  <li>When I try to load the site I get the message "The page cannot be displayed because an internal server error has occurred" and no additional information.</li>
  </ol>
  
  <p>Is there something I forgot or is ioncube not supported on Azure? Did I set up the directory properly?</p>
  
  <p>I also tried the Zend Guard Loader extension (ZendLoader.dll) in the same manner. I don't get an error message, but the extension doesn't show up in phpinfo() either.</p>