npm error on every command: EEXIST: file already exists, mkdir 'c:\users\user\appdata\Roaming\npm'

Question

I'm just new to node and npm and this is frustrating.

Well it's almost all said in the title. On a Windows 10 x64 using a NON elevated prompt, all npm commands shows:

EEXIST: file already exists, mkdir 'c:\Users\Josep\AppData\Roaming\npm'
at Error (native)

Even npm -v shows it twice before the version number.

Not hapening in an elevated prompt. version numbers differ in an elevated and a user prompt.

Double checked PATH variable. Same on two cmd windows.

Node version 6.10.0

NPM Versions: 4.3.0 at elevated prompt and 3.10.10 at a user prompt.

score 8 · Answer 1 · answered Jan 18 '20 at 16:08

8

In my case remove white space from folder name.

answered Jan 18 '20 at 16:08

shubham

91
1
1

1

Can't understand why should someone downvote this answer. Should not this help nobody? Really? – JoeCool Feb 20 '20 at 19:47
1

This answer was like a miracle to me! – Darshan Jain Nov 25 '20 at 09:56
1

What if it's the \Users\Username with space\ folder though? Do I really have to change my username on windows to work with `npm`? I haven't had this issue before. Only now when I start using `npx` – Ruben Szekér Jan 02 '22 at 15:25

score 7 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 05 '20 at 10:09

7

I had similar issue, solved it by removing .npmrc file, located at c:\Users\<USER>\ location.

I believe it was caused by running earlier npm config set in wrong location.

Kudos to this comments thread.

answered Aug 05 '20 at 10:09

lukaszkups

5,395
9
48
78

1

This is the answer for me. I had changed my path to include a common global npm location under System32 to accommodate a service account installing NPM. Because I had an npmrc, it was throwing this error. – Kurt Johnson Jun 01 '21 at 20:35

score 6 · Answer 3 · edited Jul 11 '20 at 11:40

6

For me, just adding --force solved it.

edited Jul 11 '20 at 11:40

Al.G.

4,175
6
34
55

answered Jul 11 '20 at 11:00

Awad Haj

481
7
15

4

That's playing with fire – Caveman Nov 03 '20 at 16:49
1

On my installation I have node_modules as a symbolic link and I was using yarn for most of the packages, but had to use npm for one package. Setting --prefix doesn't work either, but --force seems to work on symlinks. – PHZ.fi-Pharazon Aug 07 '21 at 07:52

score 5 · Accepted Answer · answered Mar 17 '17 at 13:51

5

Try reinstalling node and npm for the non-admin account. If that's not an option, you can use the portable version:

Download from http://nodejs.org/dist/
Extract the archive.
Open cmd and cd to the extracted folder.
Run nodevars.bat.

It will set PATH and other things so you can now use node from this folder.

answered Mar 17 '17 at 13:51

mihai

34,869
8
56
81

why exactly will this help, what "other things" are set by running `nodevars.bat`? – Todd Apr 17 '20 at 13:57

score 4 · Answer 5 · edited Mar 17 '21 at 12:48

4

this is because you have same file in node_modules/Cypress/bin and node_modules/.bin, which is cypress(type=file).

Remove cypress(type=file) from node_modules/.bin, this will resolve the issue.

edited Mar 17 '21 at 12:48

myeongkil kim

2,268
4
14
20

answered Mar 16 '21 at 11:56

bhumil raval

51
2

score 3 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 03 '18 at 16:14

3

I also had this problem. Just delete npm folder, it will be created again. This problem is due to user privileges.

answered Feb 03 '18 at 16:14

Maharramoff

785
7
15

score 2 · Answer 7 · edited Feb 19 '21 at 00:10

2

it happened to me, I had a space in my folders path C:\Users\Jhon Doe, should be C:\Users\JhonDoe.

Microsoft has a bit more information about how this can happen: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-US/troubleshoot/windows-client/user-profiles-and-logon/renaming-user-account-not-change-profile-path

edited Feb 19 '21 at 00:10

Pridkett

3,963
4
29
47

answered Feb 18 '21 at 22:04

Sir XtC

81
6

1

Thanks for your link! It helps not only on this issue, but on many others where the user name and the profile path are involved! – JoeCool Feb 20 '21 at 13:36
the easiest way to fix it, to be honest, is just creating a new account within your pc and just name it with one name or word, which will prevent a lot of headaches. – Sir XtC Mar 25 '21 at 15:11

score 1 · Answer 8 · answered Jul 13 '20 at 04:18

1

For me, cd ios && pod install && cd .. fixed it.

answered Jul 13 '20 at 04:18

John Harding

441
6
13

score 1 · Answer 9 · answered Jul 14 '20 at 18:03

1

I had the same issue and was able to resolve it on Windows by running the cmd prompt as Admin.

answered Jul 14 '20 at 18:03

Dan Hoeger

11
1

score 1 · Answer 10 · answered Dec 08 '20 at 12:25

1

Go to the folder where you have installed Cypress. For example D:\cypressautomation --> then go to "node_modules" --> and then ".bin" folder. Here in this folder, if there is any file named "cypress", then just delete it (before deleting I think cypress needs to be closed). Reopen the cypress. This worked perfectly fine for me.

answered Dec 08 '20 at 12:25

Seetaram Hegde

41
5

is is possbile for this to happend for somone didn't used or installed Cypress? – phoenixstudio Dec 08 '20 at 13:09

npm error on every command: EEXIST: file already exists, mkdir 'c:\users\user\appdata\Roaming\npm'

10 Answers10

Linked