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Installing Node.js with NVM on Windows (The Easy Way)

3 min read

Look, I've messed up my Node.js installations more times than I'd like to admit. After the third time breaking everything, I finally switched to NVM (Node Version Manager) for Windows. Here's my quick guide on doing it right.

What's NVM and Why Should You Care?

It's simple - NVM lets you switch between Node.js versions without the headache of uninstalling and reinstalling everything. That's it. No complicated explanations needed.

Let's Install It

First, if you've got Node.js already installed, just uninstall it from Windows Settings > Apps. Clean start and all that.

Getting NVM Set Up

  1. Grab NVM for Windows from GitHub
  2. Download nvm-setup.exe
  3. Run it (saying yes to everything is fine, trust me)
  4. Open a new PowerShell window

Quick Sanity Check

powershell
nvm version

If you see a version number, you're good.

Installing Node

I usually go with the latest stable version because why not:

powershell
nvm install 22.14.0
nvm use 22.14.0

That's literally it. Check if it worked:

powershell
node -v

Stuff That Might Go Wrong

  • If PowerShell says "nvm not found", just close and reopen it
  • If node commands aren't working, make sure you ran nvm use
  • Sometimes Windows Defender gets weird about it - just click "Run Anyway"

Daily Usage

Here's what I do most often:

powershell
# See what versions I have
nvm list

# Install a new version
nvm install 22.14.0

# Switch versions
nvm use 22.14.0

When Things Break

Because they will. Here's how to fix it:

powershell
# Remove a version that's acting up
nvm uninstall <version>

# Install it again
nvm install <version>

Final Thoughts

That's really all there is to it. No fancy setup needed. Just install NVM, use it to manage Node, and stop worrying about version conflicts.

If you're coming from the old way of installing Node.js directly, trust me - this is better. I wasted way too much time before switching to NVM.

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