Scratch

<?php
mysql_connect("HOST", "USERNAME", "PASSWORD") or die(mysql_error());
                mysql_select_db("DATABASE_NAME") or die(mysql_error());

$query = "UPDATE `viewcounter` SET `count` = `count`+1 WHERE `url` = '$_GET[url]' ";
mysql_query($query);
?>

<?php
// Check my newer post...it has the working code!
?>

<?php
if (isset($_GET['url'])) {
    $file = 'counters/' . md5($_GET['url']) . '.txt';
    $ip = $_SERVER['REMOTE_ADDR'];

    if (file_exists($file)) {
        if (@file_get_contents($file)) {
            $raw = file_get_contents($file);
            $data = explode(PHP_EOL, $raw);
            $views = count($data);
        } else {
            $img = imagecreate(200, 20);
            $bg = imagecolorallocate($img, 255, 255, 255);
            $fg = imagecolorallocate($img, 0, 0, 0);

            imagestring($img, 5, 5, 5, "Too many views!", $fg);

            header('Content-type: image/png');
            imagepng($img);
            imagedestroy($img);
            die;
        }
    } else {
        touch($file);
        $data = array();
        $views = 0;
    }

    if (!in_array($ip, $data)) {
        $data[$views] = $ip;
        $views++;
        $content = implode(PHP_EOL, $data);
        file_put_contents($file, $content, LOCK_EX);
    }

    if ($views == 1) {
        $txt = "1 view";
    } else {
        $txt = $views . " views";
    }

    $img = imagecreate(200, 20);
    $bg = imagecolorallocate($img, 255, 255, 255);
    $fg = imagecolorallocate($img, 0, 0, 0);

    imagestring($img, 5, 5, 5, $txt, $fg);

    header('Content-type: image/png');
    imagepng($img);
    imagedestroy($img);
    die;
} else {
    $img = imagecreate(200, 20);
    $bg = imagecolorallocate($img, 255, 255, 255);
    $fg = imagecolorallocate($img, 255, 0, 0);

    imagestring($img, 5, 5, 5, "ERROR: INVALID URL!", $fg);

    header('Content-type: image/png');
    imagepng($img);
    imagedestroy($img);
    die;
}
?>