Joomla - renaming htaccess.txt to .htaccess

[#1]

Hi,
I am really struggling with this due to my lack of understanding. I have a Joomla site and currently the file is named htaccess.txt and "Use Apache mod_rewrite" is set to No.
I changed the "Use Apache mod_rewrite" too Yes, and renamed htaccess.txt to .htaccess. This resulted in an Internal 500 error. I searched the forum but I can't make head nor tail of this file, I am not a web developer by trade, but I will need to look into this so that I understand more.
Here is the contents of htaccess.txt, does this need to be edited before making the changes? or should it just work?
Joomla is installed in the root and not in a foler called Joomla. So the home page is located at ccgi.username.plus.com

##
# @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
RewriteEngine On
########## 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)
# RewriteBase /

########## 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

Any help would be appreciated.
Thanks
TLE

[#2]

I think you might find this http://usertools.plus.net/tutorials/?id=5 useful , and particulary the link in there to the cgi upgrade faq.

[#3]

Thanks MisterW, I think all that information may take a while to sink in, although after a quick read through would I be right in thinking that I need to unhash "# RewriteBase /".
Since Joomla is installed in the root, I don't need to change the following line to incude the username.
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
Thanks
TLE

[#4]

Quote

although after a quick read through would I be right in thinking that I need to unhash "# RewriteBase /".

I'm really not sure, I'm no expert in this, I've only recently started playing with cgi myself, I just happened to know where the guide on .htaccess was because I was reading it myself very recently.
Hopefully a real 'expert' will come along and answer your query.

[#5]

Lets hope so becuase  I am getting no where fast 

[#6]

Great I have it working now 
Does anyone know  how I can turn off Global variables now?
Thanks
TLE

[#7]

Hi TLE,
You can use a custom php.ini file, as in section 12 of the faq and link. I think, according to the original schedule (section 4 of the faq), register_globals should be set off in a few days any way, but we haven't had a reminder so that might have slipped.
Gabe

[#8]

Hi Gabe,
I came accross your original post about the php.ini files last night at about 1.00am so I didn't have time to post back here to say I had manged to turn them off. I appreciate you replying though 
Yes I though Plusnet were due to turn them off 3 months or so after the upgrade.
Again, thanks for your help.
TLE.

[#9]

I have one further complication now. Since updating the website I have now started getting 404 errors when google is crawling the site using the various links. The guys on the google forum have suggested I add a 303 redirect to push http://www.thirsk-homeitsolutions.co.uk/index.htm to http://www.thirsk-homeitsolutions.co.uk/.
Is this correct for a 301 redirect or is there a better way of doing it?
redirect 301 /index.htm http://www.thirsk-homeitsolutions.co.uk
Also where abouts does this need to be placed in the .htaccess files.
Thanks for any help.

##
# @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
RewriteEngine On
########## 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)
 RewriteBase /

########## Begin - Joomla! core SEF Section
#
RewriteCond %{HTTP_HOST} ^thirsk-homeitsolutions.co.uk
RewriteRule (.*) http://www.thirsk-homeitsolutions.co.uk/$1 [R=301,L]
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-f
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_FILENAME} !-d
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} !^/index.php
RewriteCond %{REQUEST_URI} (/|\.php|\.html|\.htm|\.feed|\.png|\.gif|\.jpg|\.pdf|\.raw|/[^.]*)$  [NC]
RewriteRule (.*) index.php
RewriteRule .* - [E=HTTP_AUTHORIZATION:%{HTTP:Authorization},L]
#
########## End - Joomla! core SEF Section

[#10]

Can anyone offer any advice as the above does not have any effect.
Thanks
TLE

[#11]

No, that won't work. Try something like

RewriteRule ^index.htm$ / [R=301,L]

added just before the sef section.
Could also submit a sitemap file to google and reference that from robots.txt.
Gabe