Apache could not be started - ServerRoot must be a valid directory and Unable to find the specified module

Question

I m using xampp portable server and I m having some trouble with Apache http server  it says  ServerRoot must be a valid directory   Command line output   Please close this command only for Shutdown Apache 2 is starting     httpd exe  Syntax error on line 35 of K           xampp apache conf httpd conf  ServerRoot must be a valid directory  Apache could not be started   I checked the line 35 of xampp apache conf httpd conf and it was   ServerRoot   xampp apache    Which doesn t exist  My folders are   K           xampp apache conf      lt - where the httpd conf is K           xampp apache           lt - the server root K           xampp apache modules   lt - where server modules are   If i change  at line 35  to  ServerRoot        It says    Please close this command only for Shutdown Apache 2 is starting     httpd exe  Syntax error on line 65 of K           xampp apache conf httpd conf  Cannot load modules mod access compat so into server  Unable to find the specified module  Apache could not be started   I checked  and modules mod access compat so exists  so i can t figure out how to fix it   Any help will be appreciated

User · Answer

If you open an editor and jump to the exact line shown in the error message (within the file httpd.conf), this is what you'd see:

#LoadModule access_compat_module modules/mod_access_compat.so
LoadModule actions_module modules/mod_actions.so
LoadModule alias_module modules/mod_alias.so
LoadModule allowmethods_module modules/mod_allowmethods.so
LoadModule asis_module modules/mod_asis.so
LoadModule auth_basic_module modules/mod_auth_basic.so
#LoadModule auth_digest_module modules/mod_auth_digest.so
#LoadModule auth_form_module modules/mod_auth_form.so

The paths to the modules, e.g. modules/mod_actions.so, are all stated relatively, and they are relative to the value set by ServerRoot. ServerRoot is defined at the top of httpd.conf (ctrl-F for ServerRoot ").

ServerRoot is usually set absolutely, which would be K:/../../../xampp/apache/ in your post.

But it can also be set relatively, relative to the working directory (cf.). If the working directory is the Apache bin folder, then use this line in your httpd.conf:

ServerRoot ../

If the working directory is the Apache folder, then this would suffice:

ServerRoot .

If the working directory is the C: folder (one folder above the Apache folder), then use this:

ServerRoot Apache

For apache services, the working directory would be C:\Windows\System32, so use this:

ServerRoot ../../Apache

User · Answer

If you use an actuall version there is a  setup xampp bat  sh  script in the root directory  The path has to be absolute but the script changes all needed paths to your current location

User · Answer

Change below path in httpd conf file to your setup  This will fix the issue   Define SRVROOT  C  Apache24     ServerRoot    SRVROOT

User · Answer

Just run setup xampp bat from shell  shell from XAMPP control panel and the paths should be set automatically for the portable version of XAMPP for windows  It has worked for me

User · Answer

I had this exact same problem with Xampp portable on Windows 10 Home  I went through all the suggestions and none worked  I did get it working with Windows Firewall Settings and an error on my part   My pen drive was labelled Drive E on my laptop and Drive F on my Desktop  Once I corrected that using disk partition and changed the drive letter to E for my desktop to windows asked for access for the firewall and everything clicked   The steps to correct the drive letter were   1  Hit the windows key and type Partition   create and format harddisks partitions  should be at the top  hit enter  2  Find the drive you are looking for at the top panel and click on it   3  Right click on it and select change drive letter and path  click okay  4  Now try to start xampp control panel and start Apache and Mysql  5  if you get the windows firewall click allow   I can t say this will work but it did for me and is what I added to this discussion  I also think it might have been just the firewall did not allow the oither drive letter

User · Answer

I would think that ServerRoot needs to be absolute  Use something like   apache docroot

User · Answer

That for changing directory of the XAMPP  So you have to change the Directory as well as  ServerRoot  E  xampp apache   DocumentRoot  E  xampp htdocs     lt Directory  E  xampp htdocs  gt    ScriptAlias  cgi-bin   E  xampp cgi-bin      lt Directory  E  xampp cgi-bin  gt      AllowOverride All     Options None     Require all granted  lt  Directory gt    I also facing same problem for changing My laptop   thanks

User · Answer

I checked the line 35 of xampp apache conf httpd conf and it was       ServerRoot   xampp apache       Which doesn t exist        Create the directory  or change the path to the directory that contains your hypertext documents

User · Answer

Make sure your ServerRoot in httpd conf points correctly to the Apache path  Otherwise you will see this message for every further module  Examples    etc apache2 apache2 for Linux  quot C  Program Files Apache24 quot  for Windows

User · Answer

Navigate to your XAMPP directory  you will find a folder called apache  open it  then copy its path  my path is  D  Hacking Tools 2 Programs XAMPP V2 apache  Open up apache conf httpd conf with any text editor Scroll down until line 30-40 You will find a code like this  ServerRoot  xampp apache  Now  change it to be the apache directory  as I said in Step  1  my path is  D  Hacking Tools 2 Programs XAMPP V2 apache   so  my code will be ServerRoot  D  Hacking Tools 2 Programs XAMPP V2 apache  It should look somehow like this  ServerRoot  D  XAMPP apache  Now go back to the XAMPP main directory and run xampp start exe   It worked for me  if it doesn t work for you  just comment with the error value after opening the xampp start exe

User · Answer

Use the drive letter with forward slashes to get started  c  apache

User · Answer

navigate to httpd conf file in conf direcotry in Apache24 or whatever apache file you have   Go to ServerRoot       line and change the value to the path where apache is located like  C  Program Files Apache24

User · Answer

Run  setup xampp bat  sh  and then Delete     at the end  so your ServerRoot should be like   C       apache     NO  C       apache

User · Answer

Below solved  I have wrongly given the bin  directory   so faced the issue   if you installed apache at C  httpd-2 4 41-o102s-x64-vc14-r2 Apache24 then the modules are at      C  httpd-2 4 41-o102s-x64-vc14-r2 Apache24 modules  So  the file           C  httpd-2 4 41-o102s-x64-vc14-r2 Apache24 conf httpd conf should have        Define SRVROOT  C  httpd-2 4 41-o102s-x64-vc14-r2 Apache24     Hope that helps

[apache] Apache could not be started - ServerRoot must be a valid directory and Unable to find the specified module

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