Fresh Laravel install deletes server.php on artisan serve

I'm a bit fresh to Laravel. I installed it via composer in the xampp/htdocs file. I installed the latest version 5.6. The install works with no errors, and the file structure is as it should be.

When I run the php artisan serve command from inside the folder, it deletes the server.php file and therefore outputs the error:

This site can’t be reached

localhost refused to connect.

So I thought why not just add a new file inside and it will work... Well i suddenly do not have permissions to add files to this folder.

I tried a new install a few times, but the situation is always the same.

Has anybody else encountered this problem?

via Chebli Mohamed