Install PHP on Windows (Step-by-Step Guide)

Tutorial

Forum

Install php on Windows

What is PHP?

PHP is a server-side scripting language mainly used for making dynamic websites.
It helps connect web pages with databases (like MySQL) and is very common in web apps (WordPress, Laravel).
Example: If HTML is the body of a website, PHP is the brain that processes forms, logins, and database queries.

Install PHP Steps

To install XAMPP on a Windows system, follow these steps:

Step 1: Download PHP 8+

Step 2: Unzip to a fixed folder

Step 3: Add PHP to PATH

Step 4: Edit php.ini

Step 1: Download PHP 8+

Go to the official windows.php.net
Under VSxx x64 Thread Safe, download the ZIP for PHP 8.x (x64).

Step 2: Unzip to a fixed folder

Create: C:\PHP
Extract all ZIP contents into that folder, so you have:

C:\PHP\php.exe

Step 3: Add PHP to PATH

Start → search “Edit the system environment variables” → Environment Variables…
In System variables → select Path → Edit → New → add:

Select Environmental

Select Path and Click Edit

Click New

Type C:\php , click ok and save it

Open a new PowerShell/Terminal and check:

php -v

Output:

PHP 8.4.11 (cli) (built: Jul 29 2025 18:02:29) (NTS Visual C++ 2022 x64)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.4.11, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies

Step 4: Edit `php.ini`

php.ini-development → rename tophp.ini

Open php.ini in notepad and make these changes (search and edit):

; point PHP to the extensions folder
extension_dir = "ext"

; enable common extensions (remove the leading ;)
extension=curl
extension=mbstring
extension=openssl
extension=pdo_mysql
extension=mysqli
extension=fileinfo
extension=zip
extension=intl 

; set your timezone
date.timezone = Asia/Kolkata

RELATED TOPICS

Install node js on Windows

Easily set up Node.js on your Windows system with our step-by-step guide and images. Perfect for beginners to start coding with Node.js in minutes.

Install Java on windows

Quickly install Java JDK on your Windows computer with our simple step-by-step guide and screenshots. Perfect for beginners to start coding in Java right away.

Install XAMPP on windows

Easily install XAMPP on your Windows computer with our beginner-friendly guide and screenshots. Set up Apache, MySQL, and PHP in just a few minutes.

Install php on Windows

This tutorial explains how to install PHP on Windows directly, without using XAMPP. You’ll learn how to download PHP from the official site, configure the PATH environment variable, and verify installation. This setup is essential if you’re working with frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, or plain PHP projects.

Install composer on Windows

Composer is a dependency manager for PHP that makes it easy to install and manage PHP libraries and frameworks like Laravel, Symfony, or CodeIgniter. On Windows, installing Composer is simple using the Composer-Setup.exe installer. Once installed, you can use the composer command from any terminal or command prompt to manage your PHP projects efficiently.

Install mysql on Windows

MySQL is one of the most popular open-source relational database management systems. Installing MySQL on Windows is easy using the MySQL Installer. The installer allows you to set up MySQL Server, Workbench, and other tools. Once installed, you can create and manage databases, connect with PHP or other applications, and configure root user credentials. This step-by-step setup ensures MySQL runs smoothly on your Windows machine.