I’ve been struggling with npm commands on my Windows machine. After trying multiple solutions online and reinstalling Node.js several times, I still can’t get npm to work properly.
When I try to run:
npm install package-name
I keep getting an error about npm-cli.js being missing. After spending hours troubleshooting, I found a temporary solution where I have to use the full path:
node "C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-cli.js" install package-name
This workaround works but it’s really inconvenient. How can I fix my Node.js installation so that I can just type npm directly in the command prompt without having to specify the full path every time?
This usually happens when your Node.js installation gets corrupted - it’s not just a PATH issue. I ran into the exact same thing last year and here’s what fixed it: completely uninstall Node.js through Control Panel, then manually delete any leftover folders in Program Files and AppData. Download the latest LTS version from nodejs.org and run the installer as admin. Make sure you check “Add to PATH” during setup. If you can still access npm, run npm cache clean --force before reinstalling. The trick is making sure Windows has zero trace of the old installation. This completely solved my npm-cli.js missing errors for good.
Had this exact problem six months ago - drove me nuts for days. Your PATH environment variable is probably corrupted or npm didn’t register properly during install. Here’s what fixed it for me: manually add the npm path to your system PATH. Go to System Properties > Environment Variables and check if "C:\Program Files\nodejs" is in your PATH. If it’s there, remove it and add it back. Restart your command prompt completely after changes. Run the command prompt as admin when you’re doing this. Also heads up - some antivirus software messes with Node.js installation, so try disabling it temporarily if you reinstall. Bottom line: get that PATH variable right so Windows can find npm.
your node installation’s definitely broken. skip the full uninstall - just use chocolatey or scoop instead. they handle PATH automatically. run choco install nodejs and you’re done. fixed the same issue for my colleague last month without any manual PATH tweaking.
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