How to get SEF URLs in Joomla working

[agb26]

This is really bugging me because I would like to increase my Google rank by using SEFs on my website but no matter what I do I always end up getting 500 Internal Server errors when ever I enable it in the config page. I'm not in a hurry to get this issue resolved but would like to find a solution for it.

I am using Joomla 1.5.20 with a 3rd party extension for the SEF URLs called "AceSEF" 1.5.3

If anyone could help me out then that would be much appreciated.

[calistoy]

Set Rewrite Base / at the top of your htaccess file. Post back if this works.

[agb26]

What exactly do I edit in it? I don't know a thing when it comes to editing the .htaccess file.

This is what's in it now

RewriteEngine on
##
# @version $Id: htaccess.txt 14401 2010-01-26 14:10:00Z louis $
# @package Joomla
# @copyright Copyright (C) 2005 - 2010 Open Source Matters. All rights reserved.
# @license http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU/GPL
# Joomla! is Free Software
##

################################################## ###
# READ THIS COMPLETELY IF YOU CHOOSE TO USE THIS FILE
#
# The line just below this section: 'Options +FollowSymLinks' may cause problems
# with some server configurations. It is required for use of mod_rewrite, but may already
# be set by your server administrator in a way that dissallows changing it in
# your .htaccess file. If using it causes your server to error out, comment it out (add # to
# beginning of line), reload your site in your browser and test your sef url's. If they work,
# it has been set by your server administrator and you do not need it set here.
#
################################################## ###

## Can be commented out if causes errors, see notes above.
Options +FollowSymLinks

#
# mod_rewrite in use

########## Begin - Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits
## If you experience problems on your site block out the operations listed below
## This attempts to block the most common type of exploit `attempts` to Joomla!
#
## Deny access to extension xml files (uncomment out to activate)
#<Files ~ "\.xml$">
#Order allow,deny
#Deny from all
#Satisfy all
#</Files>
## End of deny access to extension xml files
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} mosConfig_[a-zA-Z_]{1,21}(=|\%3D) [OR]
# Block out any script trying to base64_encode crap to send via URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} base64_encode.*\(.*\) [OR]
# Block out any script that includes a <script> tag in URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} (\<|%3C).*script.*(\>|%3E) [NC,OR]
# Block out any script trying to set a PHP GLOBALS variable via URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} GLOBALS(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2}) [OR]
# Block out any script trying to modify a _REQUEST variable via URL
RewriteCond %{QUERY_STRING} _REQUEST(=|\[|\%[0-9A-Z]{0,2})
# Send all blocked request to homepage with 403 Forbidden error!
RewriteRule ^(.*)$ index.php [F,L]
#
########## End - Rewrite rules to block out some common exploits

# Uncomment following line if your webserver's URL
# is not directly related to physical file paths.
# Update Your Joomla! Directory (just / for root)

# /

########## Begin - Joomla! core SEF Section
#
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (/|\.php|\.html|\.htm|\.feed|\.pdf|\.raw|/[^.]*)$ [NC]
RewriteRule (.*) index.php
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization},L]
#
########## End - Joomla! core SEF Section

RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^$
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://unbangames.co.cc/.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://unbangames.co.cc$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.unbangames.co.cc/.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.unbangames.co.cc$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.techsfails.co.cc/.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://www.techsfails.co.cc$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://techsfail.co.cc/.*$ [NC]
RewriteCond %{HTTP_REFERER} !^http://techsfail.co.cc$ [NC]
RewriteRule .*\.(.*.*jpeg||jpg||jfif||exif||tiff||tif||png||gi f||bmp||ppm||pgm||pbm||pnm||tga||ilbm||pcx||ecw||i mg||sid||cd5||fits||pgf||cgm||svg)$ http://www.unbangames.co.cc/ [R,NC]

[calistoy]

Rewrite Base /

Type that just below RewriteEngine on. Also make sure that your files have permissions below 777.

[agb26]

I still get an internal server error with that line in the .htaccess file and it seems that all my files have permissions below 777.

Thanks for the help so far.