How to Install Composer and PHP on Windows 10

How to Install Composer and PHP on Windows 10

Last updated on | 83 replies

In this guide we will install Composer and PHP on Windows 10 so that we can install dependencies for our web apps directly from Windows command line.

1. Download and Install Visual C++

In order to run PHP on Windows 10, you will need to install Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio. You can download it from the Windows Download page or click the direct link below.

Once downloaded, run the installer and click Install.

Install Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015

2. Download and Extract PHP

Go to the Windows PHP download page and download the .zip of the version of PHP you require. In this guide, we are installing PHP 7.4 VC15 x64 Non Thread Safe, which is the latest version as of writing (Jan 2020).

Once downloaded, create a new folder in c:\php7 (or wherever you prefer) and extract your PHP zip to it.

PHP7 for Windows extracted

3. Download and Install Composer

In the second step of Composer Setup, make sure the correct path to php.exe is set and click Next.

Installing Composer PHP Windows 10

If Setup prompts to create php.ini, allow it and click Next.

Skip the Proxy URL settings, just click Next then click Install.

Click Finish once install is complete.

4. Test PHP

If you have any Command Prompt windows currently open, close them now.

Open Command Prompt, type php -v and press Enter. You should now see the PHP version.

Windows 10 PHP 7 in Command Prompt

If it returns a PHP version, you can skip to Step 6 to test Composer.

If you get an error “‘php’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.”, you may need to Add a Path Environment Variable.

5. Add Path Environment Variable

Composer setup usually does this for you, but if for whatever reason it didn’t, you can set one up manually.

So that you don’t have to type the whole path to php.exe every time you run a PHP command, you should add c:\php7 as a path environment variable.

Open System Properties by clicking the start menu and typing sysdm.cpl and press Enter.

Windows 10 view advanced system settings

In System Properties, click Environment Variables.

Windows 10 System Properties

In System Variables, click Path and then click Edit.

Click New, type the path to your PHP folder (c:\php7) and click OK.

Add new path environment variable Windows 10

Close the System Properties dialogue by clicking OK.

6. Test Composer

Open up Command Prompt and type composer -V (that’s uppercase V).

If all was installed correctly, you should see a version number.

Composer in Windows 10 command prompt

Hurrah! You can now run Composer and PHP on Windows 10.

Let me know if this helped. Follow me on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, or 🍊 buy me a smoothie.

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  1. You can skip the 3. Add Path Environment Variable step altogether, because Composer-Setup will do this for you. You just need select the PHP version you want to use, as shown in 4. Download and Install Composer

    Note that this will always offer the PHP version found in your Path.

    Reply

  3. The Composer installer script was not successful [exit code 1].
    Script Output:
    The “https://getcomposer.org/versions” file could not be downloaded: failed to open stream: An attempt was made to access a socket in a way forbidden by its access permissions.

    This error will occured when I run composer setup file. Any solution for this???

    Reply

  12. please i need a help
    C:\php7>composer require phpoffice/phpspreadsheet
    Using version ^1.10 for phpoffice/phpspreadsheet
    ./composer.json has been created
    Loading composer repositories with package information
    Updating dependencies (including require-dev)
    Your requirements could not be resolved to an installable set of packages.

    Problem 1
    – phpoffice/phpspreadsheet 1.10.1 requires ext-gd * -> the requested PHP extension gd is missing from your system.
    – phpoffice/phpspreadsheet 1.10.0 requires ext-gd * -> the requested PHP extension gd is missing from your system.
    – Installation request for phpoffice/phpspreadsheet ^1.10 -> satisfiable by phpoffice/phpspreadsheet[1.10.0, 1.10.1].

    To enable extensions, verify that they are enabled in your .ini files:
    – C:\php7\php.ini
    You can also run php --ini inside terminal to see which files are used by PHP in CLI mode.

    Installation failed, deleting ./composer.json.

    Reply

    1. Yes, open C:\php7\php.in in text editor and remove the semicolon before the extensions your require.

      ;extension=gd2

      Reply