npm on Windows fails with module not found for Node.js 22.0.0

[prabhu]

Version

22

Platform

Windows

Subsystem

No response

What steps will reproduce the bug?

npm install command is enough to reproduce the issue.

Example workflow: https://github.com/CycloneDX/cdxgen/actions/runs/8823813113/job/24236408405#step:10:18

How often does it reproduce? Is there a required condition?

Always

What is the expected behavior? Why is that the expected behavior?

No response

What do you see instead?

node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1205
  throw err;
  ^

Error: Cannot find module 'C:\npm\prefix\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-cli.js'
    at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1202:15)
    at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1027:27)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:187:14)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:28:49 {
  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
  requireStack: []
}

Additional information

No response

[Thanaen]

For your information, I have the same problem on my Windows machine, so it's not just a problem with Github actions

PS C:\Users\me> node --version
v22.0.0
PS C:\Users\me> npm --version
node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1205
  throw err;
  ^

Error: Cannot find module 'C:\Users\me\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-cli.js'
    at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1202:15)
    at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1027:27)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:187:14)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:28:49 {
  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
  requireStack: []
}

[danieljameswilliams]

I am also experiencing this.

[targos]

@Thanaen

• How did you install/update Node.js?
• Does C:\Users\me\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-cli.js exist on your system?

I'm currently not able to reproduce on my Windows machine. I tried:

• With Volta version manager (my usual setup)
• With the offitial .msi installer (in a Windows Sandbox)

C:\Users\WDAGUtilityAccount>node -v
v22.0.0

C:\Users\WDAGUtilityAccount>npm -v
10.5.1

[Thanaen]

@targos
I updated Node via the node-v22.0.0-x64 installer, downloaded directly from the Node website.

When I saw that it didn't work, I uninstalled Node, then did a clean install, with the same installer file. (after cleaning up all the cache files etc)

I then tried activating corepack and installing npm via corepack (corepack enable then corepack prepare npm@latest --activate)

After checking, it seems that the C:\Users\me\AppData\Roaming\npm folder doesn't exist 😅

Also, I've changed the npm_config_cache environment variable to point to my Dev Drive, so maybe that's a factor?
PS: I've tried removing my environment variable, but it doesn't fix the problem

[Thanaen]

@targos I've just tried installation via Volta, and npm works correctly.
Maybe a problem with the MSI installer and Windows 11?

[targos]

I don't know how to reproduce on my Windows system but it seems indeed to be a general issue on GitHub actions (which download the binary from https://nodejs.org/dist/v22.0.0/node-v22.0.0-win-x64.7z): https://github.com/nodejs/citgm/actions/runs/8831148407/job/24245743480?pr=1056

[alvicode]

have the same issue

[targos]

The main difference I see between v20/v21 and v22 is the presence of npm.ps1 and npx.ps1 in the distribution.
This is from #52009

/cc @nodejs/npm @lukekarrys

[targos]

Also /cc @StefanStojanovic.

I'm trying to find a simple reproduction but I hit another problem. Here are the steps I took:

• Download v22 from https://nodejs.org/download/release/v22.0.0/ (I used the -arm64.zip one)
• Extract it and cd into it.
• Run:

PowerShell 7.4.2
PS C:\Users\mzasso\Documents\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64> .\node.exe -v
v22.0.0
PS C:\Users\mzasso\Documents\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64> .\npm.cmd -v
10.5.1
PS C:\Users\mzasso\Documents\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64> .\npm.ps1 -v
node.exe not found.

Suggestion [3,General]: The command "node.exe" was not found, but does exist in the current location.
PowerShell does not load commands from the current location by default (see ''Get-Help about_Command_Precedence'').

If you trust this command, run the following command instead:
PS C:\Users\mzasso\Documents\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64>

[targos]

Then I installed a global node.exe with Volta and hit another (still different, but similar) issue:

PS C:\Users\mzasso\Documents\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64\node-v22.0.0-win-arm64> .\npm.ps1 -v
node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1205
  throw err;
  ^

Error: Cannot find module 'C:\Program Files\Volta\node_modules\npm\bin\npm-prefix.js'
    at Module._resolveFilename (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1202:15)
    at Module._load (node:internal/modules/cjs/loader:1027:27)
    at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (node:internal/modules/run_main:187:14)
    at node:internal/main/run_main_module:28:49 {
  code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
  requireStack: []
}

Node.js v22.0.0
Could not determine Node.js install directory

Maybe the problem is that the npm.ps1 script tries to determine where npm is installed based on where the global node.exe is installed? This seems wrong.