When encountering access denied errors while running PHP scripts, what troubleshooting steps can be taken to identify and resolve the issue effectively?

When encountering access denied errors while running PHP scripts, it is important to check the file permissions on the files and directories being accessed. Ensure that the files have the correct permissions set to allow the PHP script to read, write, or execute them. Additionally, check if there are any restrictions set in the server configuration that might be causing the access denied error.

// Example code to set file permissions to allow read access
chmod("example.txt", 0644);