Apache + mod_wsgi + django error on windows 10 - django

Question

I followed this guide exactly: https://www.codementor.io/#aswinmurugesh/deploying-a-django-application-in-windows-with-apache-and-mod_wsgi-uhl2xq09e
I am trying to deploy my django application for the first time ever using mod_wsgi and apache on windows 10.
As mentioned in the guide, I changed a few things:
wsgi_windows.py
activate_this = 'C:/pythonvenv/djangoproj/Scripts/activate'
# execfile(activate_this, dict(__file__=activate_this))
exec(open(activate_this).read(),dict(__file__=activate_this))
import os
import sys
import site
# Add the site-packages of the chosen virtualenv to work with
site.addsitedir('C:/pythonvenv/djangoproj/Lib/site-packages')
# Add the app's directory to the PYTHONPATH
sys.path.append('C:/pythonstuff/djangoproj')
sys.path.append('C:/pythonstuff/djangoproj/djangoproj')
os.environ['DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE'] = 'djangoproj.settings'
os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "djangoprog.settings")
from django.core.wsgi import get_wsgi_application
application = get_wsgi_application()
httpd.conf i added the following two lines as given by: mod_wsgi-express module-config
LoadModule wsgi_module "c:/pythonvenv/djangoproj/lib/site-packages/mod_wsgi/server/mod_wsgi.cp38-win32.pyd"
WSGIPythonHome "c:/pythonvenv/djangoproj"
httpd-vhosts.conf
# Virtual Hosts
#
# virtual SupervisionTool
<VirtualHost *:80>
ServerName localhost
WSGIPassAuthorization On
ErrorLog "logs/my_application.error.log"
CustomLog "logs/my_application.access.log" combined
WSGIScriptAlias / "C:\pythonstuff\djangoproj\djangoproj\wsgi_windows.py"
<Directory "C:\pythonstuff\djangoproj\djangoproj">
<Files wsgi_windows.py>
Require all granted
</Files>
</Directory>
Alias /static "C:/pythonstuff/djangoproj/djangoproj/static"
<Directory "C:/pythonstuff/djangoproj/djangoproj/static">
Require all granted
</Directory>
</VirtualHost>
# end virtual SupervisionTool
Everytime i try to run httpd.exe to start my webserver, it gives the following error and then doesn't start. The error is found in the logs.
[Mon Jul 06 19:31:33.542403 2020] [mpm_winnt:notice] [pid 19432:tid 748] AH00455: Apache/2.4.41 (Win32) PHP/7.3.12 mod_wsgi/4.7.1 Python/3.8 configured -- resuming normal operations
[Mon Jul 06 19:31:33.542403 2020] [mpm_winnt:notice] [pid 19432:tid 748] AH00456: Apache Lounge VS16 Server built: Aug 9 2019 16:32:28
[Mon Jul 06 19:31:33.542403 2020] [core:notice] [pid 19432:tid 748] AH00094: Command line: 'httpd.exe -d C:/wamp/bin/apache/apache2.4.41'
[Mon Jul 06 19:31:33.546388 2020] [mpm_winnt:notice] [pid 19432:tid 748] AH00418: Parent: Created child process 17612
Python path configuration:
PYTHONHOME = 'c:\pythonvenv\djangoproj'
PYTHONPATH = (not set)
program name = 'python'
isolated = 0
environment = 1
user site = 1
import site = 1
sys._base_executable = 'C:\\wamp\\bin\\apache\\apache2.4.41\\bin\\httpd.exe'
sys.base_prefix = 'c:\\pythonvenv\\djangoproj'
sys.base_exec_prefix = 'c:\\pythonvenv\\djangoproj'
sys.executable = 'C:\\wamp\\bin\\apache\\apache2.4.41\\bin\\httpd.exe'
sys.prefix = 'c:\\pythonvenv\\djangoproj'
sys.exec_prefix = 'c:\\pythonvenv\\djangoproj'
sys.path = [
'C:\\pythonvenv\\djangoproj\\Scripts\\python38.zip',
'c:\\pythonvenv\\djangoproj\\DLLs',
'c:\\pythonvenv\\djangoproj\\lib',
'C:\\wamp\\bin\\apache\\apache2.4.41\\bin',
]
Fatal Python error: init_fs_encoding: failed to get the Python codec of the filesystem encoding
Python runtime state: core initialized
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'
Current thread 0x00004a24 (most recent call first):
<no Python frame>
[Mon Jul 06 19:31:35.480078 2020] [mpm_winnt:crit] [pid 19432:tid 748] AH00419: master_main: create child process failed. Exiting.
I am not sure what went wrong... can anyone please advise? If not, is there any more hassle-free ways to deploy django on windows 10?