How to Disable "Register Globals" in PHP

Many content management systems (CMS) like Joomla recommend users disable a PHP security feature called “register_globals”. The default setting for it is controlled by your server administrator. If you have a shared hosting account, however, you still might be able to override the default server settings.

To accomplish this, create an .htaccess file (or edit the one you already have), and add the following line:

php_flag register_globals off

The reverse is also true. You can change “off” to “on” to enable register_globals when it is off on your server. Unfortunately, your web hosting provider still holds the keys and can disable your ability even to override it. In that case, contact your host and find out if they can modify the settings for you.