[Bug]: "No usable PHP version found"

[BogdanGewaldCosnova]

Platform

Windows

Operating system version

Windows 11

System architecture

Windows

Herd Version

1.21.2

PHP Version

PHP 8.4

Bug description

I installed Laravel Herd on a fresh Windows 11 install, but it’s not working correctly. If I check in the terminal by running herd, I get:
No usable PHP version found

I’ve tried several solutions found in the issues section, but none of them work.

herd --version
"No usable PHP version found"

php --version
PHP 8.4.11 (cli) (built: Jul 29 2025 18:02:29) (NTS Visual C++ 2022 x64)
Copyright (c) The PHP Group
Zend Engine v4.4.11, Copyright (c) Zend Technologies
with Zend OPcache v8.4.11, Copyright (c), by Zend Technologies

laravel --version
Laravel Installer 5.16.0

composer --version
Composer version 2.8.10 2025-07-10 19:08:33
PHP version 8.4.11 (C:\Users\bogda.config\herd\bin\php84\php.exe)
Run the "diagnose" command to get more detailed diagnostics output.

node --version
Der Befehl "node" ist entweder falsch geschrieben oder
konnte nicht gefunden werden.

It seems that NVM hasn't been installed either.
If I activate an SSL certificate, it just shows a loading screen endlessly and nothing else happens.

Steps to reproduce

No response

Relevant log output

[uncaught]

I think they withdrew the PHP 8.4.11 release, although I can't find any information about that. It doesn't appear on https://github.com/php/php-src/releases and wasn't published to docker hub.

So that might have something to do with it. Try with 8.4.10 and see if it helps.

[BogdanGewaldCosnova]

I couldn't downgrade to 8.4.10, but I installed 8.3.24 instead. I restarted the system and ran it with admin rights. Same issue: "No usable PHP version found."

[uncaught]

Try 8.3.23 😄 that 8.3.24 was "released" on the same day as 8.4.11 and is also not on the releases-list (anymore?).

But in any case, I'm just guessing here. I was looking for information about 8.4.11 when I found this issue.

[BogdanGewaldCosnova]

As you know, in Herd I can't choose the exact version.

[mpociot]

@BogdanGewaldCosnova could you tell me the output of "where.exe php84"?

[BogdanGewaldCosnova]

where php
C:\Users\bogda.config\herd\bin\php.bat

where.exe php84
C:\Users\bogda.config\herd\bin\php84.bat

[mpociot]

There should be a slash between your username and .config. Does your username contain any weird special characters? And does that folder actually exist?

[BogdanGewaldCosnova]

yes it is with slash . (copy paste error.) yes the folder exist

[mpociot]

Can you check the find-usable-php.php file? We are basically just checking for the existence of these files in there 🤔

[BogdanGewaldCosnova]

So if I run find-usable-php.php it finds the file in C:\Users\bogda.config\herd\bin\find-usable-php.php

`<?php

$minimumPhpVersion = '8.1';

// First, check if the system's linked "php" is 8+; if so, return that. This
// is the most likely, most ideal, and fastest possible case
$linkedPhpVersion = shell_exec('php -r "echo phpversion();"');

$binPath = '';
if (array_key_exists('HOME', $_SERVER)) {
$binPath = $_SERVER['HOME'] . '.config\herd\bin\php';
} else if (array_key_exists('HOMEPATH', $_SERVER) && array_key_exists('HOMEDRIVE', $_SERVER)) {
$binPath = $_SERVER['HOMEDRIVE'] . $_SERVER['HOMEPATH'] . '.config\herd\bin\php';
}

if ($binPath === '') {
return;
}

if (version_compare($linkedPhpVersion, $minimumPhpVersion) >= 0) {
if (file_exists($binPath . '84' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe')) {
echo $binPath . '84' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe';
} elseif (file_exists($binPath . '83' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe')) {
echo $binPath . '83' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe';
} elseif (file_exists($binPath . '82' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe')) {
echo $binPath . '82' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe';
} elseif (file_exists($binPath . '81' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe')) {
echo $binPath . '81' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe';
}

return;

}

if (file_exists($binPath . '83' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe')) {
echo $binPath . '83' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe';
return;
}

echo $binPath . '82' . DIRECTORY_SEPARATOR . 'php.exe';
`

[sschlein]

Closing this as stale as this seems to be an isolated problem that wasn't solved (sorry!) within nearly a year.