[Bug]: php does not install on set up on Windows

[CarolineHussey]

Platform

Windows

Operating system version

Windows 11 23H2 22631.4830

System architecture

Windows

Herd Version

1.14.0

PHP Version

All versions

Bug description

php does not install when herd is set up.

Steps to reproduce

Run the Herd install file.
Open Herd Application.
You can see from the dashboard that php has not installed.

Clicking on the 'i' button shows the log output and we can see

Error: spawn C:\Users\user\.config\herd\bin\php84\php-cgi.exe ENOENT

The buttons on the php tab to install or update php are not interactable (the two red dots are moving infinitely)

Relevant log output

Error: spawn C:\Users\user\.config\herd\bin\php84\php-cgi.exe ENOENT

[CarolineHussey]

I tried to install php manually and I've had some success. php is now showing on the dashboard as installed.

The php tab also shows php version 8.4 is installed but buttons are still not interactable

When I try to create a new site I receive the 'Your application was created successfully' screen but there is no folder created on my hard drive. The log output shows the following error message (thrown from composer.phar):

Creating a "laravel/laravel" project at "./test"

In Factory.php line 654:
                                                                                                                       
  The openssl extension is required for SSL/TLS protection but is not available. If you can not enable the openssl ex  
  tension, you can disable this error, at your own risk, by setting the 'disable-tls' option to true.

When disable-tls=true (in Composer.phar) another error is thrown:

Fatal error: Uncaught PharException: manifest cannot be larger than 100 MB in phar "C:\Users\user\.config\herd\bin\composer.phar" in C:\Users\user\.config\herd\bin\composer.phar:28
Stack trace:
#0 C:\Users\user\.config\herd\bin\composer.phar(28): Phar::mapPhar('composer.phar')
#1 {main} thrown in C:\Users\user\.config\herd\bin\composer.phar on line 28

A Google search indicates Composer hasn't been installed properly but that's about all the digging I've been able to do on this one. :/

I have tried multiple uninstalls / reinstalls / restarts / with and without antivirus and firewall enabled but I've not had any different outcome - the errors are reproducible every time.

Anyone got any suggestions or other workarounds I could try? I'm basically about to give up on Herd and try XAMPP instead!