Change default global installation directory for node.js modules in Windows?

Question

In my windows installation PATH includes C:\\Program Files\\nodejs, where executable node.exe is. I\'m able to launch node

Answer 1

You can see my answer to this in my answer to another question.

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In Windows, the global install path is actually in your user's profile directory

• %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\npm
• %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache
• WARNING: If you're doing timed events or other automation as a different user, make sure you run npm install as that user. Some modules/utilities should be installed globally.
• INSTALLER BUGS: You may have to create these directories or add the ...\npm directory to your users path yourself.

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To change the "global" location for all users to a more appropriate shared global location %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\(npm|npm-cache) (do this as an administrator):

• create an [NODE_INSTALL_PATH]\etc\ directory
  • this is needed before you try npm config --global ... actions
• create the global (admin) location(s) for npm modules
  • C:\ProgramData\npm-cache - npm modules will go here
  • C:\ProgramData\npm - binary scripts for globally installed modules will go here
  • C:\ProgramData\npm\node_modules - globally installed modules will go here
  • set the permissions appropriately
    • administrators: modify
    • authenticated users: read/execute
• Set global configuration settings (Administrator Command Prompt)
  • npm config --global set prefix "C:\ProgramData\npm"
  • npm config --global set cache "C:\ProgramData\npm-cache"
• Add C:\ProgramData\npm to your System's Path environment variable

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If you want to change your user's "global" location to %LOCALAPPDATA%\(npm|npm-cache) path instead:

• Create the necessary directories
  • C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\npm-cache - npm modules will go here
  • C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\npm - binary scripts for installed modules will go here
  • C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\npm\node_modules - globally installed modules will go here
• Configure npm
  • npm config set prefix "C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\npm"
  • npm config set cache "C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\npm-cache"
• Add the new npm path to your environment's PATH.
  • setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\Users\YOURNAME\AppData\Local\npm"