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Installation

LaraEnv runs on Windows 10 and Windows 11. Installation takes a couple of minutes — download, run the installer, and approve the first-launch prompt.

Requirements​

  • Windows 10 or Windows 11
  • WebView2 runtime — preinstalled on modern Windows. If it's missing, LaraEnv handles it for you automatically, so there's nothing to install by hand.

Download​

You can get LaraEnv from two places:

There are two artifacts:

  • LaraEnv-Setup.msi — the recommended installer. This download name stays stable across releases.
  • LaraEnv.exe — a portable build you can run directly without installing.
tip

Most users should choose the MSI installer. It registers the app with Windows and sets up Start Menu and Desktop shortcuts.

Install​

  1. Run LaraEnv-Setup.msi. The installer places the app on your system.
  2. The runtimes (Nginx, PHP, MySQL, and so on) extract to C:\laraenv\ on first use.
  3. Start Menu and Desktop shortcuts are created so you can launch LaraEnv easily.

First launch and Administrator rights​

The first time you launch LaraEnv, Windows shows a UAC prompt asking for Administrator privileges. Approve it.

warning

Administrator rights are required because LaraEnv edits the Windows hosts file at C:\Windows\System32\drivers\etc\hosts to route your local project domains to 127.0.0.1.

Updates​

LaraEnv has a built-in updater (covered in detail later). It:

  1. Checks GitHub releases for a newer version.
  2. Verifies the download with a SHA-256 checksum.
  3. Installs the MSI for you.

Uninstall​

To remove LaraEnv, use the standard Windows path: Settings → Apps → Apps & features (or Control Panel → Programs and Features), find LaraEnv, and click Uninstall.

Next steps​

With LaraEnv installed, continue to First-time setup.