Update The PHP Version In XAMPP On Windows

To update the PHP version in XAMPP, you generally need to follow these steps:

1.Download the Desired PHP Version:

Visit the official PHP website or repository (e.g., php.net) and download the Windows binaries for the PHP version you want. Make sure to choose the thread-safe (TS) version that matches your XAMPP architecture (32-bit or 64-bit).

2.Backup Your Current XAMPP PHP Folder:

Before proceeding, it's a good idea to back up your current PHP folder in XAMPP. This allows you to revert if something goes wrong.

Locate your current PHP folder within XAMPP (typically located at xampp\php).

3.Replace the PHP Files:

.Extract the downloaded PHP zip file.

Copy all files and folders from the extracted PHP directory (php) into your XAMPP PHP directory (xampp\php). This overwrites the existing PHP files with the new version.

4.Configure PHP:

Locate the php.ini file in your new PHP folder (it should be in xampp\php).

Compare any custom settings or configurations you might have in your old php.ini file with the new one. Make adjustments as necessary.

5..Update XAMPP Configuration:

Open XAMPP Control Panel.

Stop Apache (and any other services dependent on PHP, like MySQL).

Start Apache again. XAMPP should now be using the updated PHP version.

Test Your Setup:

Create a simple PHP file (e.g., info.php) containing <?php phpinfo(); ?>.

Save it in your web server root directory (xampp\htdocs).

Open your web browser and navigate to http://localhost/info.php.

Verify that the PHP version displayed matches the version you installed.

By following these steps, you should be able to successfully update the PHP version in your XAMPP environment. Remember to handle backups carefully and ensure compatibility with any other services running on your XAMPP stack.