node-gyp errors on "Cannot find module" on Windows

Question

I'm trying to build Atom. When I run npm install, I get an error:

Error: Cannot find module 'C:\Program Files (x86)\nodejs\node_modules\npm\node_modules\node-gyp\bin\node-gyp.js'

I'm on Windows. How can I fix this?

score 18 · Accepted Answer · edited May 04 '21 at 19:52

18

Update 2020: there are reports in the comments that this method (which definitely worked in 2014) does not work anymore. Please make a backup of this folder before deleting anything.

This means that somehow, the node-gyp module has been corrupted, uninstalled, or otherwise screwed up. This is can be fixed in two easy steps(tm):

Nuke node-gyp from orbit just in case of corruption or something. Open PowerShell as an administrator, cd to the install directory of Node (probably either C:\Program Files (x86)\nodejs or C:\Program Files\nodejs). Now cd .\node_modules\npm\node_modules and rm -r node-gyp.
Reinstall node-gyp. To do this, just run npm install.

edited May 04 '21 at 19:52

aboutaaron

4,869
3
36
30

answered May 12 '14 at 22:23

strugee

2,752
4
19
30

For ionic framework issue, i removed node-gyp `npm remove node-gyp` then ran `npm install`. fixed, thanks – BatteryAcid Jun 09 '17 at 20:04
@Stanly ask a new question :-) – strugee Mar 16 '18 at 19:27
9

Does not work, makes npm end up in a perpetual broken state where no commands work anymore with an even more persistent `MODULE_NOT_FOUND` error code. – Sumurai8 Aug 07 '20 at 22:11
1

@Sumurai8 Same for me – Moritz Roessler Jan 18 '21 at 04:07
LoL - could ya move that "UPDATE" to the top of this answer? Would have been nice to read that first! – FrozenKiwi Feb 17 '21 at 12:08

Balaji · Answer 2 · 2022-03-04T11:11:07.487

This is very simple to solve (i faced issue after update my node)

1 . check your node where it is install

2 . check where your node-gyp path comes from

step:1 (cmd or shell)

which node

output

/c/Program Files/nodejs/node

Tips: after i update my node-gyp path is changed ,now easy to track we already got path

C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm\node_modules\node-gyp\bin\node_gyp.js

now we are going to set right path

step:2

npm config list

now you can see node-gyp path

; cli configs
metrics-registry = "https://registry.npmjs.org/"
scope = ""
user-agent = "npm/6.12.0 node/v12.9.0 win32 ia32"

; userconfig C:\Users\balaji\.npmrc
init-author-name = "Balaji"
init-license = "MIT"
msvs_version = "2017"
node_gyp = "C:\\Users\\balaji\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\node-gyp\\bin\\node-gyp.js"
python = "C:\\Users\\balaji\\.windows-build-tools\\python27/python.exe"

; globalconfig C:\Users\balaji\AppData\Roaming\npm\etc\npmrc

; builtin config undefined
prefix = "C:\\Users\\balaji\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm"

; node bin location = C:\Program Files (x86)\nodejs\node.exe
; cwd = G:\all clients project\2020\anware
; HOME = C:\Users\balaji
; "npm config ls -l" to show all defaults.

Now time to change right path, Must Run in power shell

npm config set node_gyp /path/to/executable/node_gyp

Tips if all configuration right simply delete node_modules folder then run npm install in your node path

node-gyp errors on "Cannot find module" on Windows

2 Answers2

Linked