🚀 SnipeIT – P2 How to Install Snipe-IT on Windows (Full Setup Tutorial with XAMPP + PHP)

Installing Snipe-IT on Windows is one of the most practical ways to deploy an open-source IT Asset Management system in a lab, small business, or internal IT environment. In this step-by-step guide, you’ll learn how to install Snipe-IT using XAMPP, PHP, Composer, and MySQL, ensuring a stable and error-free setup.

This tutorial is designed for IT Support, Helpdesk, and System Administrators who want a clean installation process without configuration confusion. By the end of this guide, you will have a fully working Snipe-IT environment running on Windows.

All steps below are updated and compatible with modern Windows systems (optimized for 2025 environments).

🖥️ Step 1: Download Web Server (XAMPP for Windows)

Snipe-IT requires Apache, MySQL, and PHP. The easiest way to install these components on Windows is via XAMPP.

Download here:
https://www.apachefriends.org/download.html

Install XAMPP with default settings.

📦 Step 2: Download and Install Composer

Composer is required to install Snipe-IT PHP dependencies.

Download here:
https://getcomposer.org/download/

During installation, make sure you point Composer to the PHP path inside your XAMPP directory.

After installation, verify by opening CMD and running:

If both commands return version information, Composer is successfully installed.

📥 Step 3: Download and Install Snipe-IT

Download the latest version from:

https://github.com/grokability/snipe-it/releases/

Extract the package and copy the folder to:

Rename the folder to:

⚙️ Step 4: Configure Snipe-IT Environment

Inside the snipe-it folder:

• Copy .env.example

• Rename it to .env

Open .env using Notepad++.

Rewrite the following line:

Next:

• Enable “View hidden files” and “File name extensions” in Windows Folder Options.

• Navigate to:

Open php.ini.

Find the following modules:

Remove the ; before each line to enable them.

Save the file.

🗄️ Step 5: Create Database for Snipe-IT

Open xampp-control and start:

• Apache

• MySQL

Access:

Select your preferred language.

Click New → Enter database name → Create

After database creation, open CMD and run:

This installs all required PHP dependencies.

🔑 Step 6: Generate Application Key

Open CMD and navigate to the Snipe-IT directory:

Run:

This command generates a secure Laravel application key.

🌐 Step 7: Configure HTTP Path

Open .env file again and edit:

Now edit Apache configuration:

Open:

Find the DocumentRoot line and change it to:

Save the file.

Restart Apache:

Stop → Start

✅ Step 8: Complete Web Setup

Open your browser and access:

Follow the web-based installation wizard to complete setup.

🎯 Why Install Snipe-IT on Windows?

Running Snipe-IT on Windows using XAMPP is ideal for:

• IT Lab environments

• Testing before production deployment

• Small business asset tracking

• Internal IT inventory management

Snipe-IT allows you to:

✔ Track hardware assets
✔ Manage software licenses
✔ Assign assets to users
✔ Monitor accessories and components
✔ Generate reports

All within a centralized web interface.

🔥 Final Thoughts

You now have a fully working Snipe-IT installation on Windows using XAMPP and PHP. This method provides a simple yet powerful way to deploy an open-source IT Asset Management platform without requiring Linux.

If you follow each step carefully, your installation will run smoothly without common dependency or permission errors.

For best performance in production, consider deploying Snipe-IT on Ubuntu Server with Apache or Nginx. However, for learning, testing, or small-scale use, Windows + XAMPP works perfectly.