If you are getting “php is not recognized as an internal or external command” from your Microsoft Windows Command Prompt on Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows 10.

Then you need to add php folder location path to the system environment variables. this post is going to show you how to add php to system path.

Download & Install PHP

If you have not installed PHP on your system or any package like XAMPP, WAMPP, or MAMP then simply download latest version of Thread Safe PHP, unzip it and put it in your preferred drive folder.

Copy to PHP folder location path

Open “This PC” on Windows 10 or my computer on windows 7 and locate your php folder in respective software package. I am using xampp

php location path on windows 10

Now, Copy the php folder ? path

Windows 10 System Environment Variables

Hit the Windows Key on your keyboard and type “variables” and you should see “system environment variables” option from control panel, now hit “Enter” key on your keyboard.

Now locate “Environment Variables”

Click environment variables

Edit User ? & System ? Environment Variables Path

On this new window, select the ‘Path’ under user/system environment variable and hit “Edit” button

Now on the edit windows, click “New” button ? on the right and paste the php folder location path

Click NEW and paste the php folder location path then hit OK, OK, OK, and OK

You are done. Just relaunch the Windows Command Prompt and type

php -v

Now you should get something like this…

PHP not recognized video

Watch me fix “php is not recognized as an internal or external command”