How to Download & Install PHP 8 on Windows 10

This post will help you download & install php 8 on Windows 10 and set php 8 to system's path, verify php version and run the php 8 local development server.

Download & Install PHP 8

• Head to php.net
• Click Download button
• Click Windows Downloads
• Download Thread safe 32/64 bit zip package for your system type
• Extract the zip package
• Paste the extracted folder onto your desired drive (C?D?E?)
• Rename this folder to php8
• One this folder and look for php.ini-development file
• Make a copy of this file and rename copy version to php.ini
• Open php.ini file with your preferred text editor and uncomment PHPIniDir “ext”
• Save the file and close the editor.

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Set PHP 8 to System's Path

• Open php8 folder and copy and folder path
• Press Windows Key on your keyboard and type 'variable' and hit Enter
• Click Environment Variables
• Click Edit and Click NEW on the right
• Paste the php8 folder path
• Click OK, OK, OK

Verify PHP Version

• Launch Command Prompt
• Type php -v

Run PHP Local Development Server

• Create a Folder on your desktop
• Open this folder with your text editor
• Create a file and save as filename.php
• Write PHP code and save it
• <?php echo phpinfo(); ?>
• Navigate your CMD to this folder
• Run PHP server
• php -S 127.0.0.1:3000
• Launch Browser
• Navigate to 127.0.0.1:3000/filename.php

Install PHP 8 on Windows 10

Comments

[Mike Dodge]

This part is confusing:
Click Environment Variables
Click Edit and Click NEW on the right

I am assuming I am editing the Path variable under System variables in that section.

[Mike Dodge]

Also, after setting the Path, on my machine at least, I needed to reboot before CMD would recognize the PHP command.