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How to Setup PHP Manager on Windows with IIS?

PHP Manager is a powerful tool on Windows servers with IIS (Internet Information Services). You can manage multiple PHP versions or configure PHP settings using it.

Moreover, this graphical tool makes it super simple to install, run, and manage PHP on your IIS web server. Also, you can enable or disable PHP extensions and configure settings in the php.ini file using PHP Manager. This is highly essential for the smooth running of PHP-based applications.

Let us now understand the step-wise process to install PHP Manager on a Windows server with IIS. Also, you will learn how to set up a simple PHP application to verify your installation.

What You Need Before You Start

  • A Windows Server set up and running on a platform like Cantech.
  • Remote access to the server (use Remote Desktop Protocol or RDP).
  • Microsoft Web Platform Installer needs to be installed on the server.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide

Step 1 – IIS Installation (Internet Information Services)

First, let’s get IIS set up on your server.

  • Open Windows Server Manager on your server.
  • When you click on ‘Add roles and features,’ a wizard will open. In that, choose ‘Role-based or feature-based installation’
  • Click Next.
  • Click on ‘Web Server (IIS)’ from the list of roles. Again, click Next.
  • Confirm that IIS is selected and proceed with the installation.
  • After installation is done, go to your web browser and enter your server’s public IP address.

You will see the IIS welcome page after everything is set up correctly.

Step 2 – Download and Install PHP Manager

IIS is running now, so now you need to add PHP Manager.

  1. Go to the Microsoft Portal and download PHP Manager for IIS.
  2. When the download is complete, you need to run the .msi installer to install PHP Manager on your Windows server.

Step 3 – Install PHP and Enable IIS CGI Support

This step is essential for enabling PHP on your IIS server.

  • Open the ‘Microsoft Web Platform Installer’ from the Start menu.
  • Type ‘IIS CGI’ in the search bar at the top
  • Press Enter.
  • You will see various results. Click on ‘Add’ next to IIS: CGI.
  • Next, type ‘PHP 7.4’ in the search bar.
  • Then, select ‘PHP 7.4 (x86)’ and click Install.
  • The installation will download and set up PHP on your server (with required packages & dependencies).

Step 4 – PHP Manager Configuration

Now PHP Manager is installed too. Next, you can configure it through the IIS Manager.

  1. Open ‘IIS Manager’ (search for it in the Start menu under Windows Administrative Tools).
  2. Select the name of your server in the left panel.
  3. You will see the IIS section; click on PHP Manager over there.
  4. The PHP Manager interface will show the installed PHP version. Click ‘Check phpinfo()’ to view detailed information about your PHP installation.
  5. A dialog will appear. Set localhost as the test URL and click ‘OK’ to see the current PHP info on your server.

Additional Configuration

  • You can install more PHP versions. (Download the PHP version and go to ‘Register new PHP version’ in PHP Manager.
  • Go to the PHP Settings section to modify PHP settings or the php.ini file.
  • PHP Extensions section includes installations and enabling/disabling extensions.

Step 5 – Test PHP Installation

Lastly, let’s verify if PHP is working correctly on your Windows server.

=>Open ‘Notepad’ as an administrator from the Start menu (right-click and select Run as administrator or from Windows Accessories group).

=>Paste the following PHP code into the Notepad file:

<?php
echo “<h1> PHP is successfully installed on this Windows Server </h1><br>”;
echo “<h3> Below is the current installed PHP version and Information: </h3><br>”;
phpinfo();
?>

=>Save it as ‘All Files’ in the directory – C:\inetpub\wwwroot. Give it a custom name like ‘test.php’.

=>Now, open your web browser and enter the following URL –

http://windows-server-ip/test.php

Replace windows-server-ip with your actual server IP address.

You will see the PHP information page. This confirms that PHP is working fine and everything is set up properly.

Wrapping Up

Now, you can run PHP applications on your server and even switch between different PHP versions easily. PHP Manager makes managing PHP on your IIS server a lot more manageable. It simplifies the process of handling PHP extensions, modifying configuration files, and even switching between multiple PHP versions. To learn more about managing PHP settings and versions, be sure to check out Microsoft’s official documentation for PHP Manager.

 

March 19, 2025