Title: wp-admin/install.php not loading on Windows 11
Last modified: July 18, 2026

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# wp-admin/install.php not loading on Windows 11

 *  [Ross Riley](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rossriley/)
 * (@rossriley)
 * [3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/)
 * Trying to install WordPress 7.0.2 on Windows 11 running PHP 8.5. On trying to
   load [wp-admin/install.php](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/wp-admin/install.php?output_format=md)
   as the installation page instructs, the page does not load & only display the
   source code which includes:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       <h1>Error: PHP is not running</h1> <p>WordPress requires that your web server is running PHP. Your server does not have PHP installed, or PHP is turned off.</p>
       ```
   
 * Apache 2.4 is running as a service & http:\\localhost displays “It works!” as
   expected, so as far as I can tell PHP is installed & is not turned off.
 * Help please!
 * Thanks

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

 *  Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/)
 * (@threadi)
 * [3 weeks ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/#post-18969074)
 * You should check why PHP isn’t running when called through Apache. What you need
   to do to fix this depends on your local environment. WordPress can’t help you
   with this. I’d recommend reaching out to a community that supports the server
   software you’re using.
 *  Thread Starter [Ross Riley](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rossriley/)
 * (@rossriley)
 * [2 weeks, 6 days ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/#post-18969207)
 * [@threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) – thanks for your response.
   Managed to find a workaround by setting the Apache DocumentRoot to the WordPress
   folder I extracted to (not ideal but it works!).
 * However, install.php now shows a Requirements Not Met message:
 *     ```wp-block-code
       Your PHP installation appears to be missing the MySQL extension which is required by WordPress.Please check that the mysqli PHP extension is installed and enabled.
       ```
   
 * This despite php_mysqli.dll being installed in the ext directory & extension=
   mysqli set in php.ini
 * Not sure where to go with this now so any further help appreciated.
 * Thanks
 *  Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/)
 * (@threadi)
 * [2 weeks, 6 days ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/#post-18969211)
 * Unfortunately, I don’t know what software you’re using. There are ready-made 
   packages for this on Windows, such as XAMPP, localwp, etc. You can also install
   the services required by WordPress entirely manually. That’s why it’s difficult
   to help you with this, especially since configuring a hosting environment isn’t
   a WordPress theme in and of itself. That’s the job of the hosting provider, who
   needs to be familiar with it.
 * So if you need help with the configuration, check what exactly you’re using and
   see if you can find an online community for it. XAMPP, for example, has a large
   community here: [https://www.apachefriends.org/community.html](https://www.apachefriends.org/community.html)–
   depending on where you are on this beautiful planet, there might also be forums
   in your region that deal with this kind of thing.
 * If you’re looking for personal support, you’ll surely find it through this job
   board, which is actually specific to WordPress: [https://jobs.wordpress.net](https://jobs.wordpress.net)
 *  Thread Starter [Ross Riley](https://wordpress.org/support/users/rossriley/)
 * (@rossriley)
 * [2 weeks, 6 days ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/#post-18969242)
 * [@threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/) – thanks again. This
   was an entirely manual installation.
 * I tried to install WordPress on my PC so I could learn how to use it & set up
   a website design so I wasn’t paying a hosting company for the privilege of doing
   so, & could set up a hosting account once ready.
 * However, this is turning out to be too much hassle (which is strange as I decided
   to use WordPress specifically to make the web design process simpler).
 * So I’m binning the whole idea & will just take the cost hit with the hosting 
   company – so much for a simple 5 minute install!
 *  Moderator [threadi](https://wordpress.org/support/users/threadi/)
 * (@threadi)
 * [2 weeks, 6 days ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/#post-18969259)
 * There are many ways to use WordPress in a wide variety of environments. If I 
   understand you correctly, you just want to see how you can use WordPress in the
   first place. For that, I’d recommend starting with the Playground: [https://playground.wordpress.net](https://playground.wordpress.net)–
   WordPress runs right in your browser there, with no installation required. Here,
   you can explore the different possibilities without having to go through a complicated
   installation process. And it’s free.
 * If you absolutely want to run WordPress locally on your own computer, I’d recommend
   using the previously mentioned localwp. See: [https://localwp.com](https://localwp.com)–
   Alternatively, there are also guides on how to manually install WordPress locally,
   but those are intended more for developers and not for simply getting a feel 
   for the CMS: [https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/before-install/development/](https://developer.wordpress.org/advanced-administration/before-install/development/)
 * And of course, you can also install WordPress with a hosting provider of your
   choice. There are plenty of options available.
 * You might also find this page helpful for getting to know the CMS: [https://learn.wordpress.org](https://learn.wordpress.org)
 *  [Md Nurullah](https://wordpress.org/support/users/codepiolot/)
 * (@codepiolot)
 * [1 week, 5 days ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/#post-18976302)
 * Actually, you were very close. The error indicates that Apache is serving PHP
   files as plain text, which means PHP is not connected to Apache properly. The
   next issue with `mysqli` means PHP is running but the MySQL extension is not 
   loaded.
 * Check:
    - Apache PHP module/FastCGI configuration
    - The active `php.ini` file (`php --ini`)
    - Whether `extension=mysqli` is enabled in the PHP configuration used by Apache
    - Restart Apache after changes

Viewing 6 replies - 1 through 6 (of 6 total)

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## Tags

 * [php](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/php/)
 * [wordpress install](https://wordpress.org/support/topic-tag/wordpress-install/)

 * In: [Installing WordPress](https://wordpress.org/support/forum/installation/)
 * 6 replies
 * 3 participants
 * Last reply from: [Md Nurullah](https://wordpress.org/support/users/codepiolot/)
 * Last activity: [1 week, 5 days ago](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/wp-admin-install-php-not-loading-on-windows-11/#post-18976302)
 * Status: not resolved

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