This error arises when the HTTP request headers indicate gzip encoding, but the content itself isn't actually compressed. This typically happens when working with some older Laravel projects that have misconfigurations. It's usually linked to the zlib.output_compression setting in your php.ini configuration file.

When this setting is enabled, set to On, for projects that aren't expecting it, it can lead to decoding issues, resulting in the net::ERR_CONTENT_DECODING_FAILED error in your browser.

The solution is very easy, you just have to change one setting in your php.ini.

#zlib.output_compression = Off
zlib.output_compression = On

Restart your PHP processes and you are good to go!