How to fix Error: spawnSync powershell.exe ENOENT

Question

I want to install Windows build tools with an elevated PowerShell console using this command:

npm install --global --production windows-build-tools

but I'm getting the following error back everytime I run the the npm install command above:

[email protected] postinstall C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools> node ./dist/index.js

C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\os.js:53
                        throw resultError;
                        ^

Error: spawnSync powershell.exe ENOENT
    at Object.spawnSync (internal/child_process.js:1002:20)
    at Object.spawnSync (child_process.js:614:24)
    at spawnSync (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:67:36)
    at Object.queryRegFromPowershell (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:73:3)
    at loop (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:113:16)
    at opts.shift (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:116:7)
    at spawn (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:100:5)
    at spawnSync (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:68:2)
    at Object.queryRegFromRegExe (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:96:3)
    at loop (C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\windows-build-tools\node_modules\in-gfw\lib\geo.js:113:16)
npm ERR! code ELIFECYCLE
npm ERR! errno 1
npm ERR! [email protected] postinstall: `node ./dist/index.js`
npm ERR! Exit status 1
npm ERR!
npm ERR! Failed at the [email protected] postinstall script.
npm ERR! This is probably not a problem with npm. There is likely additional
         logging output above.

npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
npm ERR!     C:\Users\AKA\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_logs\2019-09-02T01_30_08_978Z-debug.log

PS> node -v
10.16.0
PS> npm -v 
6.9.0

For help with your code: show your code. Show the content of 2019-09-02T01_30_08_978Z-debug.log too. — Ansgar Wiechers
Ansgar wiechers thanks for offering help but pls the content of 2019-09-02T01_30_08_978Z-debug.log is over 4thousand lines of error how do i go about posting it pls — Hendrx

rushwe11 rushwe11 · Accepted Answer · 2020-01-30T21:21:28

Add %SystemRoot%/system32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0 to your PATH Variable,

cmd+q and search env and hit enter
click environment variables in the advanced tab
find Path/PATH variable and click edit
Click new and paste %SystemRoot%/system32/WindowsPowerShell/v1.0
click ok and restart your terminal and try installing again

How to fix Error: spawnSync powershell.exe ENOENT

1 Answers