Install PHP 8.4 on Windows (and keep other versions)

Step 1: Pick the right build

On windows.php.net, take the x64 zip for PHP 8.4. Thread Safe (TS) is only for running PHP inside Apache as a module (php8apache2_4.dll), and then Apache must be a VS17 x64 build such as Apache Lounge’s. For everything else (the command line, Composer, nginx or IIS through FastCGI, Apache with mod_fcgid) take Non Thread Safe (NTS).

Step 2: Install the Visual C++ runtime

PHP 8.4 for Windows is built with Visual Studio 2022 (VS17) and needs the Microsoft Visual C++ 2015–2022 Redistributable (x64). Without it PHP stops with “VCRUNTIME140.dll was not found”. With an outdated copy it prints that VCRUNTIME140.dll is not compatible with this PHP build. Install the latest vc_redist.x64.exe from Microsoft in both cases.

Step 3: Unzip PHP and create php.ini

Extract the zip to a short path without spaces, such as C:\php84. Copy php.ini-development to php.ini in the same folder; the development defaults show errors on screen, which is what you want locally.

In php.ini, set extension_dir to the full path of the ext folder (a relative path breaks when PHP runs from another folder) and remove the ; in front of the extensions you need. The list below covers Laravel, WordPress and Composer.

extension_dir = "C:\php84\ext"
extension=curl
extension=fileinfo
extension=gd
extension=intl
extension=mbstring
extension=mysqli
extension=openssl
extension=pdo_mysql
extension=pdo_sqlite
extension=sqlite3
extension=zip
date.timezone = UTC

Step 4: Add PHP to PATH and check it

Add C:\php84 to your user Path (Start → “Edit environment variables for your account” → Path → Edit → New), then open a new terminal. php -v should print 8.4, php --ini should show C:\php84\php.ini, and php -m lists the loaded extensions.

php -v
php --ini
php -m

Step 5: Keep other versions next to it

Unzip each version into its own folder (C:\php83, C:\php74) with its own php.ini. Only one of them can be plain php on PATH. For the others, put small launchers in a folder that is on PATH, one per version, so php83 artisan migrate runs PHP 8.3.

For a web server, run one php-cgi.exe per version on its own port (for example C:\php83\php-cgi.exe -b 127.0.0.1:9083) and point each site’s FastCGI setting at the port of the version it needs.

@"C:\php83\php.exe" %*

Step 6: Or install PHP 8.4 with EnvKit

EnvKit is a free app that installs PHP versions, Composer, a web server and databases, and keeps each PHP version in its own folder.

Step 7: What EnvKit sets up for you

Open Services → PHP, pick the 8.4 build under Install & versions and click Install. EnvKit lists the official Windows builds from windows.php.net (NTS x64), one current release per line from 7.4 to 8.5. Before installing it checks the Visual C++ runtime and installs Microsoft’s redistributable if it is missing or too old, which asks for permission once.

Each version gets its own php.ini, created from php.ini-development with extension_dir set, an error log you can read on the Logs page, 1024M upload, post and memory limits, and curl, exif, fileinfo, gd, intl, mbstring, mysqli, openssl, pdo_mysql, pdo_pgsql, pdo_sqlite, sqlite3 and zip turned on. Other extensions are on the version’s Extensions tab.

Nothing goes on PATH until you tick it under Tools → Environment (PATH). With PHP version + ini launchers ticked, php is your default version and php84, php83 and so on call each installed version. Pinning a version to one site is covered in the multiple PHP versions guide.