'npm' is not recognized as internal or external command, operable program or batch file

I installed Node.js and while trying to install Ionic and cordova using this piece of code:

`npm install -g cordova ionic`

I faced the above error. I added 'C:\Program Files\nodejs' to my Environment Variable 'PATH'. But still was unable to get over this issue. Turned out that my PATH variable was longer than 2048 characters and so I was unable to add the Nodejs path to it. I had to remove the path of another program and add the Nodejs path.
Close and reopen the cmd prompt and try to install Ionic again.
This worked for me.

If the package is *successfully installed* and still shows the message "**'npm' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.**"

1. Click windows start button.
2. Look for "**ALL APPS**", you will see Node.js and Node.js Command prompt there.
3. You can run the *Node.js Command prompt* as administrator and soon as its run it will show the message "Your environment has been set up for using Node.js 6.3.0 (x64) and npm."

and then it works from there...

Don't forget to reboot your computer after installing node! That one got me.

I ran into this issue as well. It turns out Windows doesn't enjoy single quotes on the command line. The culprit was one of my npm scripts. I changed the single quotes to escaped double quotes:

'npm -s run sass-build'

to

\"npm -s run sass-build\"

I'm updating this thread with a new answer because I've found the solution to my miserable situation after not less than a week ...

For those still experiencing the error even though they have their path value set properly, check your pathext variable to have the value (default value in windows 7 +) : .COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH;.MSC

Mine was to set only to : .BAT and changing it solved the problem. I wonder why nobody brought this up ...

Hope this helps!

We need to install nodejs and nothing else do we need to do and then simply use command prompt and change directory to the project in which you want to install npm and then use npm install command. It has worked for me.

for me adding path to PATH didn't do the trick.
Run `c:\Program Files\nodejs\nodevars.bat` instead, it will do the job for you

Well in my case doing testing via Mocha i tried everything just to realize i have to remove single quotes around my test case script tag inside `package.json`.

I am running `mocha` test case on all `*.test.js` files as can see below:

**package.json**

Before:

"scripts": {
"test": "mocha server/**/*.test.js",
"test-watch": "nodemon --exec 'npm run test'"
}

After(removing single quotes - npm run test):

"scripts": {
"test": "mocha server/**/*.test.js",
"test-watch": "nodemon --exec npm run test"
}


Worked for me, just in case someone else also gets stuck on this.

Just Download and Install Node.js from here

[To see links please register here]

If you run the downloaded file and install it, they will automatically configure for your system

You don't need any other configurations anymore, now you can use the **npm** command anywhere


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If the Nodejs is successfully installed and still displays the message like this:

> 'npm' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Follow the steps below for Windows users:

1. Go to **My Computer** Properties
2. Click **Advanced System Setting** from the Left bar of a window.
3. Now you have a System Properties window. Click **Advanced**
4. Then, Click **Environment Variable** button
5. Now you have Environment variable window: From *System Variable*, Select **Path**
6. Click **Edit**
7. At the end of the Variable value, add `;C:\Program Files\nodejs\`

**Note**: If you have installed *nodejs* on other drives then please act accordingly.
8. Click **Ok** all the open dialogue box

**Very important Note**: ***"Close your Command Prompt And Restart Again"***
(It's very important because if you didn't restart your command prompt then changes will not be reflected.)

Now you can use the **npm** command anywhere

Check npm config by command:

npm config list

It needs properties: "prefix", global "prefix" and "node bin location".

; userconfig C:\Users\username\.npmrc
cache = "C:\\ProgramData\\npm-cache"
msvs_version = "2015"
prefix = "C:\\ProgramData\\npm"
python = "C:\\Python27\\"
registry = "http://registry.com/api/npm/npm-packages/"

; globalconfig C:\ProgramData\npm\etc\npmrc
cache = "C:\\ProgramData\\npm-cache"
prefix = "C:\\ProgramData\\npm"

; node bin location = C:\Program Files\nodejs\node.exe
; cwd = C:\WINDOWS\system32

In this case it needs to add these paths to the end of environment variable PATH:

;C:\Program Files\nodejs;C:\ProgramData\npm;