'node' is not recognized as an internal or external command

Question

I've been working with node.js v0.6.3, locally installed on Windows Vista at C:\Program Files\Nodejs. I recently upgraded to (by running the installer for) v0.6.6. It seemed like it worked for a while, but now if I try to run node from any directory I get a

'node' is not recognized as an internal or external command

message, though running node from C:\Program Files\Nodejs does work.

I tried rebooting, removing node, reinstalling, reinstalling 0.6.3 - nothing seems to work. I just don't get why node fails to recognize system path, though node works from its base dir?

Solution 1

Node is missing from the SYSTEM PATH, try this in your command line

SET PATH=C:\Program Files\Nodejs;%PATH%

and then try running node

To set this system wide you need to set in the system settings - cf - http://banagale.com/changing-your-system-path-in-windows-vista.htm

To be very clean, create a new system variable NODEJS

NODEJS="C:\Program Files\Nodejs"

Then edit the PATH in system variables and add %NODEJS%

PATH=%NODEJS%;...

Solution 2

Nodejs's installation adds nodejs to the path in the environment properties incorrectly.

By default it adds the following to the path:

C:\Program Files\nodejs\

The ending \ is unnecessary. Remove the \ and everything will be beautiful again.

Solution 3

Go to the folder in which you have Node and NPM (such as C:\Program Files (x86)\nodejs\) and type the following:

> set path=%PATH%;%CD%
> setx path "%PATH%"

From http://www.hacksparrow.com/install-node-js-and-npm-on-windows.html

Solution 4

Everytime I install node.js it needs a reboot and then the path is recognized.

Solution 5

Watch out for other paths ending in \ too. I had this:

...bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Web Platform Installer\;C:\Program Files\nodejs\

and changed it to this:

bin;C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Web Platform Installer\;C:\Program Files\nodejs

removing the final \, but it still didn't work. The previous path, for the Web Platform Installer, had a trailing \ too. Removing that fixed the problem.

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