Change default global installation directory for node js modules in Windows

Question

In my windows installation PATH includes C  Program Files nodejs  where executable node exe is  I m able to launch node from the shell  as well as npm  I d like new executables to be installed in C  Program Files nodejs as well  but it seems impossible to achieve   Setting NODE PATH and NODE MODULES variables doesn t change anything  things are still installed in  appdata  npm by default   How can I change the global installation path

User · Answer

Building on the installation concept of chocolatey and the idea suggested by @Tracker, what worked for me was to do the following and all users on windows were then happy working with nodejs and npm.

Choose C:\ProgramData\nodejs as installation directory for nodejs and install nodejs with any user that is a member of the administrator group.

This can be done with chocolatey as: choco install nodejs.install -ia "'INSTALLDIR=C:\ProgramData\nodejs'"

Then create a folder called npm-cache at the root of the installation directory, which after following above would be C:\ProgramData\nodejs\npm-cache.

Create a folder called etc at the root of the installation directory, which after following above would be C:\ProgramData\nodejs\etc.

Set NODE environment variable as C:\ProgramData\nodejs.

Set NODE_PATH environment variable as C:\ProgramData\nodejs\node_modules.

Ensure %NODE% environment variable previously created above is added (or its path) is added to %PATH% environment variable.

Edit %NODE_PATH%\npm\npmrc with the following content prefix=C:\ProgramData\nodejs

From command prompt, set the global config like so...

npm config --global set prefix "C:\ProgramData\nodejs"

npm config --global set cache "C:\ProgramData\nodejs\npm-cache"

It is important the steps above are carried out preferably in sequence and before updating npm (npm -g install npm@latest) or attempting to install any npm module.

Performing the above steps helped us running nodejs as system wide installation, easily available to all users with proper permissions. Each user can then run node and npm as required.

User · Answer

Delete node folder completely from program file folder  Uninstall node js and then reinstall it  change Path of environment variable PATH  delete  npmrc file from C  users yourusername

User · Answer

trying to install global packages into C  Program Files  x86  nodejs  gave me Run as Administrator issues  because npm was trying to install into C  Program Files  x86  nodejs node modules   to resolve this  change global install directory to C  Users  username  AppData Roaming npm   in C  Users  username    create  npmrc file with contents   prefix    C   Users   username   AppData  Roaming  npm   reference     npm install -g package installs global packages into prefix location npmrc userconfig takes priority and overrides npm config ls -l was showing prefix    C   Program Files  x86   nodejs    environment nodejs x86 installer into C  Program Files  x86  nodejs  on Windows 7 Ultimate N 64-bit SP1 node --version   v0 10 28 npm --version   1 4 10

User · Answer

Everything you need is in the npm-folders documentation  I don t want to start my Win notebook now so I cannot verify it  but you should only change prefix to C  Program Files nodejs in your config file  If you want to change it globally for all users  edit the C  Program Files nodejs npmrc file  otherwise create edit C  Users  username   npmrc  But this change will probably have some side effects  so read this discussion first  I don t think it s a good idea

User · Answer

To Change the default global installation directory for node js npm  modules in Windows  You need to fix 2 paths   First check the current path where node modules are installing  when you try to install them globally by using following command    npm list -g --depth 0  It will return you the current path where node modules are installing right now  Example  D  vsc typescript  Now visit the following path to see npm and npm-cache folder  C  Users username OR Number  AppData Roaming  In Roaming folder of your C drive you will find npm and npm-cache folder  Click on the   npm   folder and select the path Just click on the bar path will be selected automatically  copy it   This is a path image which you need to select  Once you copy this path set this to the environment variables  with a variable name Path anything you can select as a name   Now you have set the path for your npm folder  now this is the time to set prefix  Go inside npm folder and check if node module folder exist  if not create a new folder named as node modules  You all global modules will come in this folder after completing all steps   Final Step  Go to CMD and right the following command   npm set prefix C  Users username Number  AppData Roaming npm node modules  Again this is the same path we selected for environment variable  we are just adding one more folder in the path and that is node module   All Set    Try Now   It will work

User · Answer

In Windows  if you want to move the npm or nodejs folder in disk C to another location  but it still makes sure node and npm works well  you can create symlink like this  Open Command Prompt   mklink  D  your location want to create symlink   location of node npm file    Example     mklink  D  C  Users MyUser AppData Roaming npm   D  Nodejs Data npm    Now you ve created a symlink for npm folder  this symlink will refer to D  Nodejs Data npmEverything will work well

User · Answer

You should use this command to set the global installation flocation of npm packages   git bash  npm config --global set prefix  lt  path you want to use gt  npm   cmd git-cmd  npm config --global set prefix  lt drive  path you want to use gt  npm  You may also consider the npm-cache location right next to it   as would be in a normal nodejs installation on windows    git bash  npm config --global set cache  lt  path you want to use gt  npm-cache   cmd git-cmd  npm config --global set cache  lt drive  path you want to use gt  npm-cache

User · Answer

I tried most of the answers here nothing seems to work in my case  So i changed the Temp location in my env variables to C  npm  Then it started to work  This is not a good idea but a temporary solution

User · Answer

Step 1       npm config get prefix         Default Path is    USERPROFILE  AppData Roaming npm     Step 2       npm config get cache         Default Path is    USERPROFILE  AppData Roaming npm-cache     Step 3       npm config set prefix  npm         example npm config set prefix C   dev  node  npm     Step 4       npm config set cache  npm-cache         example npm config set cache C   dev  node  npm-cache       Run steps 1  amp  2 again to check whether the paths are updated as required  That s it  Whenever you install global packages you should see them installed inside  npm node modules

User · Answer

The default global folder is C  Users  username  AppData Roaming npm  You can create  if it doesn t exist  a  npmrc file in C  Users  username   and add  prefix    path  to  yourglobalfolder   Note that  in windows  the path should be separated by double back-slash

User · Answer

You can see my answer to this in my answer to another question     In Windows  the global install path is actually in your user s profile directory     USERPROFILE  AppData Roaming npm  USERPROFILE  AppData Roaming npm-cache  WARNING  If you re doing timed events or other automation as a different user  make sure you run npm install as that user  Some modules utilities should be installed globally  INSTALLER BUGS  You may have to create these directories or add the     npm directory to your users path yourself      To change the  global  location for all users to a more appropriate shared global location  ALLUSERSPROFILE   npm npm-cache   do this as an administrator     create an  NODE INSTALL PATH  etc  directory   this is needed before you try npm config --global     actions  create the global  admin  location s  for npm modules   C  ProgramData npm-cache - npm modules will go here C  ProgramData npm - binary scripts for globally installed modules will go here C  ProgramData npm node modules - globally installed modules will go here set the permissions appropriately   administrators  modify authenticated users  read execute   Set global configuration settings  Administrator Command Prompt    npm config --global set prefix  C  ProgramData npm  npm config --global set cache  C  ProgramData npm-cache   Add C  ProgramData npm to your System s Path environment variable      If you want to change your user s  global  location to  LOCALAPPDATA   npm npm-cache  path instead    Create the necessary directories    C  Users YOURNAME AppData Local npm-cache - npm modules will go here C  Users YOURNAME AppData Local npm - binary scripts for installed modules will go here C  Users YOURNAME AppData Local npm node modules - globally installed modules will go here  Configure npm   npm config set prefix  C  Users YOURNAME AppData Local npm  npm config set cache  C  Users YOURNAME AppData Local npm-cache   Add the new npm path to your environment s PATH    setx PATH   PATH  C  Users YOURNAME AppData Local npm

User · Answer

Find the current path of your global node package installation by following command   npm list -g --depth 0  Change this path to correct path by following command   npm set prefix C  Users username Number  AppData Roaming npm node modules  It worked for me  Read my previous answer for better understanding

User · Answer

Using a Windows symbolic link from the C  Users username  AppData Roaming npm and C  Users username  AppData Roaming npm-cache paths to the destination worked great for me   How to add a symbolic link

User · Answer

it does not require much configurations just go to advanced system settings copy the path where you have installed your node and just create an environment variable and check with node -v command in your prompt

[node.js] Change default global installation directory for node.js modules in Windows?

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