If you need multiple versions to run simultaneously, you also need to modify the "Listen 80" port to another value in httpd.conf and adjust SSL ports accordingly.
Once installed, you may need to tweak the PHP configuration (php.ini) to suit your legacy application's requirements. Open the XAMPP Control Panel.
Use PHP 7.1.3 on XAMPP only for legacy maintenance. Plan your migration to PHP 8.x. But until then, this stack will keep the old ship sailing—just don’t expect new maps. xampp php 7.1.3
However, for new projects, PHP 7.1.3 is no longer a suitable choice. The lack of security updates, compatibility issues with modern frameworks, and unpatched vulnerabilities make it a risk for any production application. Modern frameworks such as , which offer significant performance improvements (often 2-3x faster than PHP 7.1) and enhanced language features like named arguments, attributes, and match expressions.
To get XAMPP with PHP 7.1.3, you typically need to download the specific legacy installer from an archive, as current versions of XAMPP use PHP 8.x. PHP 7.1 is end-of-life (EOL), meaning it no longer receives security updates 📥 1. Download the Correct Version XAMPP releases are tied to specific PHP versions. To get , you need XAMPP version 7.1.1 (the closest stable builds). Official Archive: XAMPP Windows Archive on SourceForge Search for: File Format: Installer (.exe): Easiest for a fresh setup. Portable (.zip): If you need multiple versions to run simultaneously,
As newer versions of PHP and other components become available, you may want to upgrade your XAMPP installation:
nav ul li a color: white; text-decoration: none; padding: 8px 16px; background: #34495e; border-radius: 5px; transition: background 0.3s; Use PHP 7
During this process, keep your as a reference baseline. Compare outputs to ensure behavior hasn’t changed.
PHP 7.1.3 (it was deprecated in 7.2 and removed in 7.4). If your legacy app complains about mcrypt:
By leveraging these resources and mastering XAMPP PHP 7.1.3, developers can accelerate their web development workflow and create high-quality web applications.
XAMPP is the most popular cross-platform local web server solution, bundling Apache, MySQL (MariaDB), PHP, and Perl into a single, easy-to-install package. PHP 7.1.3, released in March 2017, introduced powerful features like nullable types, void return types, and class constant visibility modifiers. But more importantly, it serves as a bridge between the old PHP 5.x era and modern PHP 7.x/8.x standards.