Fix Composer SSL Error Windows

I’m on Windows with XAMPP and Composer refuses to install or update because of the classic “OpenSSL certificate verify failed” message. The installer points to
C:\xampp\apache\bin\curl-ca-bundle.crt and my CLI is using C:\xampp\php\php.ini.
Internet connection is stable, so the block is clearly the SSL handshake.

I need clear, step-by-step help to:

• Replace or correctly register the CA bundle used by curl/OpenSSL.
• Adjust any php.ini or environment path settings so Composer can reach https://getcomposer.org/versions without errors.
• Verify the fix by running composer self-update successfully.

A quick remote session or a concise set of commands with explanations is perfect—I just want Composer up and running again today.