How to install two PHP versions in Window XAMPP?

Step 1: Download PHP 5.6 (Non Thread Safe) version

https://windows.php.net/download#php-5.6

Step 2: Extract the zip file and copy into XAMPP folder

C:\xampp\php5_6

Step 3: Configure php.ini file
Open C:\xampp\php5_6\php.ini. If the file does not exist, rename php.ini-production into php.ini. Open the file with notepad and uncomment the following line (just remove “#”).

extension_dir = "ext"

Step 4: Configure Apache
Open xampp control panel, Click config button and click Apache (httpd-xampp.conf).

It will open httpd-xampp.conf text file from C:\xampp\apache\conf\extra\, put the following settings at the bottom of the file:

ScriptAlias /php5_6/ "C:/xampp/php5_6/"
<Directory "C:/xampp/php5_6">
    AllowOverride None
    Options None
    Require all denied
    <Files "php-cgi.exe">
          Require all granted
    </Files>
</Directory>

Step 5: Set different port number for php5_6
In my setting, Use port 8888for php 5.6

Listen 8888
<VirtualHost *:8888>
    UnsetEnv PHPRC
    <FilesMatch "\.php$">
        php_flag engine off
        SetHandler application/x-httpd-php5_6
        Action application/x-httpd-php5_6 "/php5_6/php-cgi.exe"
    </FilesMatch>
</VirtualHost>

Step 6: Save the file and restart Apache service. Click Stop and Start

Now, you can run your projects on older PHP version with port 8888.

http://localhost:8888/Project1

*** Don’t forgot to enable required extensions in php.ini file. ***