This npm install is not working on Windows

Question

This works great in my Mac. But the same process on Windows and the npm install crashes. This is what I get.

I've tried everything I've seen on Stack Overflow so far and every link Google search produced. I tried the following as suggested here:

rm -rf node_modules
npm install

It didn't work.

I:

• ran it as admin,

• tried npm install -g

• restarted the XAMPP server

• turned off Windows Defender

• checked the PATH for C:\Program Files\nodejs

Output

warn optional SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: fsevents@^1.0.0 (node_modules\chokidar\node_modules\fsevents):
warn notsup SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: Unsupported platform for fsevents@1.0.17: wanted {"os":"darwin","arch":"any"} (current: {"os":"win32","arch":"x64"})
verbose notsup SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: Valid OS:    darwin
verbose notsup SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: Valid Arch:  any
verbose notsup SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: Actual OS:   win32
verbose notsup SKIPPING OPTIONAL DEPENDENCY: Actual Arch: x64
warn fuse@1.4.4 No description
verbose If you need help, you may report this error at:
verbose     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>
warn fuse@1.4.4 No repository field.
verbose If you need help, you may report this error at:
verbose     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>
warn fuse@1.4.4 No license field.
verbose If you need help, you may report this error at:
verbose     <https://github.com/npm/npm/issues>
verbose stack Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\.staging\accessibility-developer-tools-2e33f290' -> 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\accessibility-developer-tools'
verbose stack     at destStatted (C:\Users\Luis\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\install\action\finalize.js:25:7)
verbose stack     at C:\Users\Luis\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\graceful-fs\polyfills.js:276:29
verbose stack     at FSReqWrap.oncomplete (fs.js:123:15)
verbose stack
verbose stack Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\.staging\accessibility-developer-tools-2e33f290' -> 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\accessibility-developer-tools'
verbose stack     at Error (native)
verbose cwd C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM
error Windows_NT 10.0.14393
error argv "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Users\\Luis\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js" "install"
error node v6.9.1
error npm  v4.0.2
error path C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\.staging\accessibility-developer-tools-2e33f290
error code EPERM
error errno -4048
error syscall rename
error Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\.staging\accessibility-developer-tools-2e33f290' -> 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\accessibility-developer-tools'
error     at destStatted (C:\Users\Luis\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\install\action\finalize.js:25:7)
error     at C:\Users\Luis\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\graceful-fs\polyfills.js:276:29
error     at FSReqWrap.oncomplete (fs.js:123:15)
error
error Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\.staging\accessibility-developer-tools-2e33f290' -> 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\accessibility-developer-tools'
error     at Error (native)
error  { Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\.staging\accessibility-developer-tools-2e33f290' -> 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\accessibility-developer-tools'
error     at destStatted (C:\Users\Luis\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\lib\install\action\finalize.js:25:7)
error     at C:\Users\Luis\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\node_modules\graceful-fs\polyfills.js:276:29
error     at FSReqWrap.oncomplete (fs.js:123:15)
error
error Error: EPERM: operation not permitted, rename 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\.staging\accessibility-developer-tools-2e33f290' -> 'C:\xampp\htdocs\ScalaCM\node_modules\accessibility-developer-tools'
error     at Error (native) parent: 'fuse' }
error Please try running this command again as root/Administrator.
verbose exit [ -4048, true ]

node -v gives me version 6.9.1.

npm -v gives me version 4.0.2.

Which proves they are all installed fine. Am I right?

Answer 1

Is still does not work for you, try this: Go to "C:\Windows\System32" folder and see if you do not have an empty file called “npm”. We used to do this, in the old days in Unix, to prevent people from deleting files.

Answer 2

this work for me

npm install --force

Answer 3

Please try to open the console as an administrator.

Do right-click on the command line and select "Open as administrator" and then try installing the dependency.

Answer 4

Please read the error carefully.

It's saying:

fsevents@1.0.17: wanted {"os":"darwin","arch":"any"}

The FSEvents API in OS X allows applications to register for notifications of changes to a given directory tree.

It needs OS X, because some of the npm dependencies are using fsevents. That's why it’s breaking on Windows.

As you were told, it's working without fsevents. Then you can follow these steps:

Install npm-check-updates and try again.

npm install -g npm-check-updates
ncu -u       # It will update the npm dependencies.
rm -fr node_modules
npm install

It will update the dependencies and install the dependencies.

Answer 5

If you installed Node.js and npm with nvm, then you can uninstall it with nvm uninstall 5.5.5, and then reinstall with nvm install 5.5.5.

That fixed my issue. I did not have to go in to delete or add modules or change paths.

Answer 6

If npm install is not working, then you can use this command:

 npm install --legacy-peer-deps

This works for me.

Answer 7

I tried to disabled all my antivirus and firewall, cleared the npm cache, and did cache verify, but nothing worked. The only thing that works on my end is to install the Node Version Manager, nvm.

How does Node Version Manager work?

Permission errors can occur when packages are installed globally. If this is the case, npm may need to be set up to operate without elevated permissions. This where nvm comes in. It lets you install a different Node.js version without triggering the administrative access.

1. If you have existing Node.js installed, I recommend uninstalling it like the process given by LOTUSMS above:

   Uninstall from Programs & Features with the uninstaller.

   Reboot (or you probably can get away with killing all node-related processes from Task Manager).

   Look for these folders and remove them (and their contents) if any still exist. Depending on the version you installed, UAC settings, and CPU architecture, these may or may not exist:

   C:\Program Files (x86)\Nodejs C:\Program Files\Nodejs

   C:\Users{User}\AppData\Roaming\npm (or %appdata%\npm)

   C:\Users{User}\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache (or %appdata%\npm-cache)

   C:\Users{User}.npmrc (and possibly check for that without the . prefix too) Check your %PATH% environment variable to ensure no references to Nodejs or npm exist.

   If it's still not uninstalled, type where node at the command prompt and you'll see where it resides -- delete that (and probably the parent directory) too.

2. Install nvm here - https://github.com/coreybutler/nvm-windows. or you can use curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.34.0/install.sh | bash

3. Run nvm or command -v nvm. If something prints, the installation was successful.

4. Install the prefered node version - e.g. nvm use 16.3.0

5. Check if the node and npm are properly install. Just run node -v and npm -v

6. Enjoy the npm installation :D

Answer 8

The only solution that worked for me was deleting npm and npm-cache from C:\Users(your username)\AppData\Roaming.

And uninstalling Node.js and reinstalling it.

Answer 9

Update and then install again:

npm install -g npm-check-updates

npm install

Add this to fix any errors:

npm audit fix

Answer 10

After countless hours of debugging and researching, I decided to install on a different machine to see if the problem was with my Node.js installation. It worked.

Know that the possibility to uninstall Node.js and delete NPM will be there. This is what I did. I believe it is the safest way to solve the problem and all the rest of your applications installed in your machine will still work.

I credit this answer for these steps, although I had other npm and node_modules in other locations. So do a quick search for these and unless they are part of an application, make sure they are deleted as well.

1. Uninstall from Programs & Features with the uninstaller.

2. Reboot (or you probably can get away with killing all Node.js related processes from Task Manager).

3. Look for these folders and remove them (and their contents) if any still exist. Depending on the version you installed, UAC settings, and CPU architecture, these may or may not exist:

• C:\Program Files (x86)\Nodejs
• C:\Program Files\Nodejs
• C:\Users\{User}\AppData\Roaming\npm (or %appdata%\npm)
• C:\Users\{User}\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache (or %appdata%\npm-cache)
• C:\Users\{User}\.npmrc (and possibly check for that without the . prefix too)

4. Check your %PATH% environment variable to ensure no references to Node.js or npm exist.

5. If it's still not uninstalled, type where node at the command prompt and you'll see where it resides -- delete that (and probably the parent directory) too.

6. Reboot, for good measure.