Check with your local zoning department. Why anyone would put a window directly under a sliding door baffles me, and it may not be legal to block that window.

I have similar steps at my cottage, and we did a combination of concrete deck/pier blocks, and nestled them into the softer ground where we could. We also have a lot of rock below ground, so where we weren't able to create a footing, we rented a rock drill and then hammered steel saddles into the holes. You may need to dig the odd hole for a proper footing, if the "landing/step" is higher off the ground, but from what I can see in the picture, you should be ok. Used pressure treated lumber for all frames, and whatever wood you prefer on top. Keep in mind that composite can get slippery, so wet kids from the lake running up and down steps, or even from the dew in the morning can be a little risky!

thank you for responding! My husband ripped out the bottom wood one that was left behind and are in process of getting a new asphalt driveway & walkway with a paver border in front of bottom step. This was unplanned but storm damage required the new driveway so we decided to finally ripoff the oddball step & now are unsure how to replace. they left the 4th buried in the old asphalt with only the 4th bottom tread exposed.

Glad to hear! I suggest your first step should be to pull a permit, so whoever does this for you has some accountability. I just finished building a deck, and when I applied for the permit they sent me a useful handout showing a lot of things they look for (like how to attach to a ledger board, how to secure beams to joists, and proper height and depth of steps.