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

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.

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"

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