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John Ajera
John Ajera

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Install Node.js on Windows via CLI (winget)

#node #npm #windows #winget

Install Node.js on Windows via CLI (winget)

Setting up Node.js on Windows no longer requires clicking through installers — thanks to winget, Microsoft’s official Windows Package Manager.

Here’s how you can install Node.js with npm in seconds, entirely from the terminal.

1. Open PowerShell

Press Win + X → select Windows PowerShell (Admin) or Terminal (Admin).

2. Find Available Node.js Versions

First, list all available Node.js packages:

winget search OpenJS.NodeJS
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You'll see results like:

Name          Id                Version
-----------------------------------------------
Node.js       OpenJS.NodeJS     25.1.0
Node.js 14    OpenJS.NodeJS.14  14.18.1
Node.js 16    OpenJS.NodeJS.16  16.20.2
Node.js 18    OpenJS.NodeJS.18  18.20.8
Node.js 20    OpenJS.NodeJS.20  20.19.5
Node.js 21    OpenJS.NodeJS.21  21.7.2
Node.js 22    OpenJS.NodeJS.22  22.21.0
Node.js 23    OpenJS.NodeJS.23  23.11.0
Node.js (LTS) OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS 24.11.0
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Pick the LTS version (recommended) or the latest version and install it:

winget install -e --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
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Or install the latest version:

winget install -e --id OpenJS.NodeJS
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⚠️ The LTS (Long Term Support) version is recommended for most users — it's more stable and receives security updates longer.

3. Reopen Your CLI (Important!)

After installation, close and reopen PowerShell or Terminal. This refreshes the PATH so that node and npm are recognized.

Then verify the installation:

node --version
npm --version
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You should see version numbers for both Node.js and npm (npm comes bundled with Node.js).

4. Troubleshooting: npm Not Recognized in PowerShell

If you see an error like npm : File C:\Program Files\nodejs\npm.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system, PowerShell's execution policy is blocking npm scripts.

Here are three ways to fix it:

Option A: Change Execution Policy (Recommended)

Run PowerShell as Administrator and set the execution policy:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
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Then close and reopen PowerShell. This allows local scripts (like npm) to run while still protecting against unsigned remote scripts.

Option B: Use Command Prompt Instead

If you prefer not to change PowerShell settings, use Command Prompt (cmd) or Windows Terminal with the Command Prompt profile instead. npm works without any policy changes in cmd.

Option C: Bypass for Current Session

Temporarily bypass the policy for the current PowerShell session:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process
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This only affects the current session and resets when you close PowerShell.

5. (Optional) Upgrade npm

Keep npm up to date:

npm install -g npm@latest
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Why Use winget?

✅ Official (maintained by Microsoft + OpenJS Foundation)

✅ Adds Node.js and npm to PATH automatically (just reopen your terminal to apply)

✅ Fully scriptable (great for automation & CI)

✅ Reproducible setup for fresh machines

That's it — you've installed Node.js and npm on Windows with a single command, and it's ready to use after reopening your terminal.

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