node-winget-collision

type	skill
lifecycle	stable
inheritance	inheritable
name	node-winget-collision
description	Node.js installed via winget collides with nvm — path priority, shim conflicts, resolution steps
tier	extended
applyTo	**/*node*,**/*winget*,**/*collision*
currency	"2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z"
lastReviewed	"2026-04-30T00:00:00.000Z"

Node.js Winget Collision

Category: Windows / Node.js Time Saved: 30-60 minutes debugging Battle-tested: Yes — occurred during Node.js upgrade

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The Problem

You install Node.js 22 via winget. It works. Later you uninstall the old Node.js 20 version. Suddenly node --version gives an error or shows the wrong version. Your terminal can't find node at all.

Why It Happens

Multiple winget Node.js packages share the same installation directory:

OpenJS.NodeJS.22    →  C:\Program Files\nodejs\
OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS   →  C:\Program Files\nodejs\
OpenJS.NodeJS       →  C:\Program Files\nodejs\

When you uninstall ANY of them, winget removes the shared binaries — even if another package is still "installed."

The Rule

When upgrading Node.js via winget: Install new first, verify, THEN uninstall old.

Safe Upgrade Procedure

Step 1: Install New Version First

# Install Node 24 (don't uninstall old yet!)
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS --version 22.x.x

# Or use the versioned package
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.22

Step 2: Verify Installation

# Close and reopen terminal, then:
node --version
# Should show v22.x.x

npm --version
# Should work

Step 3: Only Then Uninstall Old

# NOW it's safe to remove old version
winget uninstall OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

# Or uninstall by exact ID from winget list
winget list nodejs  # Find the exact ID
winget uninstall OpenJS.NodeJS --version 20.x.x

Step 4: Verify Again

node --version
# Still v22.x.x — good!

If You Already Broke It

Recovery Steps

# 1. Check what winget thinks is installed
winget list nodejs

# 2. Uninstall all Node entries
winget uninstall OpenJS.NodeJS
winget uninstall OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
winget uninstall OpenJS.NodeJS.22

# 3. Clean up PATH (if needed)
# Remove stale C:\Program Files\nodejs entries

# 4. Fresh install
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.22

# 5. Restart terminal and verify
node --version

Manual PATH Cleanup

# Check current PATH
$env:PATH -split ';' | Where-Object { $_ -like '*nodejs*' }

# If it shows paths that don't exist:
# System Properties → Environment Variables → Path → Remove bad entries

Alternative: Use NVM for Windows

Avoid the problem entirely with Node Version Manager:

# Install nvm-windows
winget install CoreyButler.NVMforWindows

# Then manage versions safely
nvm install 22
nvm install 20
nvm use 22
nvm list

Package ID Reference

Package ID	Description
OpenJS.NodeJS	Latest stable
OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS	Latest LTS
OpenJS.NodeJS.22	Specific v22
OpenJS.NodeJS.20	Specific v20
OpenJS.NodeJS.18	Specific v18

Verification Checklist

• Never uninstall old Node before installing new
• Verify node --version after install
• Check npm --version works
• Only then uninstall old version
• Consider nvm-windows for version management

Common Symptoms

• "'node' is not recognized" after uninstalling old version
• Wrong Node version showing after upgrade
• npm commands fail after Node.js changes
• PATH contains nonexistent nodejs folder

Related Skills

• pat-expiration-silent — Silent failures in Windows tools