Installing the Current Node.js LTS Release

Good to continue. In the previous lesson, you checked whether PowerShell could run node and npm. If either command produced an “not recognized” message even after opening a fresh PowerShell window, Node.js is not available correctly on this PC yet.

This lesson shows the simplest Windows setup path: install the current LTS edition of Node.js. The installer includes npm, so you do not download npm separately. Once both version commands work, you will be ready to locate the backend folder and later install its project dependencies.

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Choose the LTS release, not “Current”

Node.js has two broad release tracks:

Track	Meaning	Choice for this backend setup
LTS	Long-Term Support; intended for stable, supported use over a longer period	Choose this
Current	Newer features, but changes more frequently	Skip unless the project specifically requires it

The exact LTS version number changes over time. Do not try to match a number from an old tutorial or screenshot; choose whichever version is labeled LTS on the official Node.js download page at the time you install.

The official npm documentation recognizes both version managers and installers. A version manager is useful when you regularly switch Node versions for different projects. For this one-project, beginner setup, use the official Windows installer. Do not install both a version manager and the regular Node.js installer at the same time; competing installations can make PowerShell find the wrong version.

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Install Node.js with the Windows installer

Before beginning, close any PowerShell or Command Prompt windows that are open. You will open a new one only after installation finishes.

1. Open a web browser and use the official Node.js download link provided in the reading above.
2. Select the release marked LTS.
3. Under Windows downloads, choose the Windows Installer file, which ends in .msi.
   • Most Windows PCs use x64.
   • Choose ARM64 only if you know that your Windows device runs on an ARM processor.
4. Wait for the download to finish, then open the downloaded .msi file. It will normally be in Downloads.
5. In the setup wizard:
   • Select Next.
   • Accept the license agreement.
   • Keep the default installation folder unless you have a specific reason to change it.
   • On the custom setup screen, keep the normal defaults.

Two setup items matter particularly:

• npm package manager must be selected. This is the command you will use later for npm install and npm run dev.
• Add to PATH must be selected. PATH is the Windows setting that lets PowerShell find node and npm when you type their names.

Both are normally selected by default. Leave them selected.

You may see an optional choice to install tools for native modules. Leave that option unchecked for now. It can download several additional development tools and is not required merely to run a typical JavaScript backend or to install bcryptjs.

6. Select Install. If Windows asks whether you allow the installer to make changes, select Yes.
7. Wait for the wizard to complete, then select Finish.

This walkthrough shows the process visually, including the LTS choice, the important installer options, and the fresh-terminal verification afterward.

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Verify from a new PowerShell window

The installer updates Windows’s command search path. A PowerShell window that was already open has an older copy of those settings, so it may still say node is unavailable even when installation succeeded.

After selecting Finish:

1. Close every open PowerShell or Command Prompt window.
2. Open a new Windows PowerShell window from the Start menu.
3. Run:

node -v

4. Then run:

npm -v

A successful installation gives two version numbers, similar to:

PS C:\Users\YourName> node -v
v22.x.x

PS C:\Users\YourName> npm -v
10.x.x

The x values above are placeholders. Your numbers will differ, and that is expected. What matters is that:

• node -v displays a Node.js version beginning with v.
• npm -v displays an npm version.
• Neither command produces an error.

At this point, do not run npm install yet. The command will only work properly after you have found and entered the real backend directory containing package.json.

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If verification still fails

First, make sure you really opened a new PowerShell window. Then use the result to choose the smallest sensible fix.

node and npm are both still “not recognized”

Restart Windows once, then open PowerShell and try the version commands again. This can complete system-level setup changes.

If they are still unavailable after the restart, rerun the official LTS installer and confirm that Add to PATH is selected. Do not download npm separately.

node -v works, but npm -v says “not recognized”

The Node installation is incomplete or its npm command is not being found. Rerun the same LTS installer and ensure npm package manager and Add to PATH are selected. Then open a fresh PowerShell window and verify both commands again.

PowerShell says npm.ps1 cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled

This is different from “npm not recognized”: npm exists, but PowerShell is blocking its helper script under your account’s execution policy. Only for that specific message, open PowerShell and run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

If PowerShell asks for confirmation, type Y and press Enter. This changes the policy for your Windows user account, allowing locally installed scripts such as npm’s PowerShell helper to run while still requiring downloaded scripts to be signed. Close PowerShell, open a new one, and run npm -v again.

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Completion checkpoint

You have completed this setup step when a new PowerShell window returns version numbers for both:

node -v
npm -v

The key points are:

• Install the official LTS release of Node.js for Windows.
• The Node.js installer also installs npm.
• Keep npm package manager and Add to PATH enabled in the installer.
• Verify only from a newly opened terminal after installation.

Next, you will find the downloaded project folder, identify its backend directory and package.json, and only then navigate there in PowerShell.