Setting up a web server on your local system to run PHP involves choosing and configuring software like Apache, Nginx, or using a pre-packaged solution like XAMPP or WAMP. Here’s how you can do it:

Option 1: Using XAMPP (Easiest Method)

XAMPP is an easy-to-install package that includes Apache, PHP, and MySQL. It’s perfect for quickly setting up a local development environment.

1. Download XAMPP

• Go to the XAMPP website.
• Download the version of XAMPP that includes the PHP version you want to use.

2. Install XAMPP

• Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.
• Choose the components you need (typically, Apache, MySQL, and PHP are pre-selected).
• Install XAMPP in the default directory (e.g., C:\xampp).

3. Start Apache

• Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
• Click the "Start" button next to Apache. This will start the Apache web server.

4. Test the Installation

• Open a web browser and go to http://localhost.
• You should see the XAMPP welcome page, confirming that the server is running.

5. Run PHP Scripts

• Place your PHP files in the htdocs folder inside the XAMPP installation directory (e.g., C:\xampp\htdocs).
• Access your PHP script by going to http://localhost/your-script.php in your browser.

Option 2: Manually Setting Up Apache with PHP

If you prefer to set up Apache manually, follow these steps:

1. Download Apache

• Download the Apache binaries for Windows from Apache Lounge.
• Extract the contents to a directory, e.g., C:\Apache24.

2. Download PHP

• Download the PHP zip package from the PHP Downloads page.
• Extract it to a directory, e.g., C:\php.

3. Configure Apache to Use PHP

• Open the Apache configuration file (httpd.conf) located in the conf folder inside the Apache installation directory (C:\Apache24\conf\httpd.conf).

• Add the following lines to the httpd.conf file to integrate PHP with Apache:

  LoadModule php_module "C:/php/php8apache2_4.dll"
  AddHandler application/x-httpd-php .php
  PHPIniDir "C:/php"
  

  Ensure the paths match where you extracted PHP.

• Save and close the httpd.conf file.

4. Start Apache

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
• Navigate to the Apache bin directory:

  cd C:\Apache24\bin
  

• Start Apache by typing:

  httpd.exe
  

5. Test PHP Integration

• Create a PHP file named test.php in the htdocs directory (C:\Apache24\htdocs):

  <?php
  phpinfo();
  ?>
  

• Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost/test.php.
• If PHP is correctly configured, you will see the PHP information page.

Option 3: Using Nginx with PHP

If you prefer using Nginx, follow these steps:

1. Download Nginx

• Download Nginx for Windows from Nginx’s official website.
• Extract it to a directory, e.g., C:\nginx.

2. Download PHP

• Download the PHP zip package from the PHP Downloads page.
• Extract it to a directory, e.g., C:\php.

3. Configure Nginx

• Open the Nginx configuration file (nginx.conf) located in the conf directory inside the Nginx installation directory (C:\nginx\conf\nginx.conf).

• Add or modify the server block to handle PHP files:

  server {
      listen       80;
      server_name  localhost;
  
      location / {
          root   html;
          index  index.php index.html index.htm;
      }
  
      location ~ \.php$ {
          root           html;
          fastcgi_pass   127.0.0.1:9000;
          fastcgi_index  index.php;
          fastcgi_param  SCRIPT_FILENAME  $document_root$fastcgi_script_name;
          include        fastcgi_params;
      }
  }
  

• Ensure the paths are correct and save the nginx.conf file.

4. Start PHP-FPM

• Open Command Prompt and navigate to the PHP directory (C:\php).
• Start PHP-FPM by typing:

  php-cgi.exe -b 127.0.0.1:9000
  

5. Start Nginx

• Open Command Prompt and navigate to the Nginx directory (C:\nginx).
• Start Nginx by typing:

  start nginx
  

6. Test PHP Integration

• Create a test.php file in the Nginx html directory (C:\nginx\html):

  <?php
  phpinfo();
  ?>
  

• Open your browser and navigate to http://localhost/test.php.
• You should see the PHP information page.