How to install NVM on Windows step by step

How do I install NVM on Windows?

Short answer: Open PowerShell and run winget install nvm-windows, or download nvm-2.0.1-x64-setup.exe from the NVM for Windows releases page and run it. Then open a new terminal and run nvm install lts and nvm use lts. Check it with node -v: you should see Node.js 26, the current LTS version. Version 2 installs for your user, so you no longer need an administrator terminal.

The nvm you see in most tutorials (nvm-sh) only works on macOS, Linux and WSL. On Windows you use NVM for Windows, a separate project with similar commands. Its latest version is 2.0.1, from October 2, 2026.

In PowerShell: install NVM for Windows, install Node.js 26 LTS and 24, and switch between them with nvm use.

NVM for Windows commands at a glance

Step 1: remove the Node.js you already have

If you installed Node.js before with the official installer, uninstall it in Settings > Apps > Installed apps. The NVM for Windows team recommends it: a Node.js installed outside NVM can come first in the PATH and hide the versions you switch to.

Your projects stay where they are. Only global npm packages, such as typescript or nodemon, need to be installed again later.

Step 2: install NVM for Windows

With winget, the fastest way. Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run:

winget install nvm-windows

With the installer: go to the releases page, download nvm-2.0.1-x64-setup.exe, or nvm-2.0.1-arm64-setup.exe if your PC has an ARM processor, and run it as your normal user. The wizard lets you adjust the configuration, and the defaults work for most people.

Version 2 installs in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Author Software\nvm, inside your user folder.

Step 3: check the installation

Close the terminal, open a new one and run:

nvm env

If NVM for Windows is installed, it shows its configuration. If you see 'nvm' is not recognized, the terminal was opened before the installation: open another one.

Step 4: install Node.js and switch versions

Install the LTS version and, if you need it, an older one:

nvm install lts
nvm install 24
nvm list

nvm list marks the default version with an asterisk. To switch:

nvm use 24
node -v
nvm use lts
node -v

nvm use changes the version for every terminal and keeps it as the default, so you do not need to repeat it each time you open PowerShell. nvm use last goes back to the previous version.

Upgrade from NVM for Windows 1.x

Download and run the version 2 installer as your normal user. It migrates installs from version 1.1.7 or later and keeps the Node.js versions you had.

If you installed version 1 with winget, run winget install nvm-windows once. That changes the package from CoreyButler.NVMforWindows to AuthorSoftware.NVMWindows, and later updates only need winget upgrade nvm-windows.

Use nvm in WSL instead

If you work in WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), install the Linux nvm inside your WSL terminal, not NVM for Windows. The steps are the same as in how to install NVM on Linux.

Install NVM on Windows with AI

An AI assistant such as ChatGPT, Claude or GitHub Copilot can read PowerShell errors for you and adapt the steps to your computer. These three prompts are ready to copy.

1. Plan the installation on your PC

I use Windows 11 with PowerShell. node -v shows [v20.11.0 / nothing].
I want NVM for Windows 2 with Node.js 26 LTS, and Node 24 for an old project.
Tell me if I should uninstall my current Node.js first, then give me the commands
one by one and how to check that each step worked.

2. Find out which Node.js runs

I installed NVM for Windows and ran nvm use 26, but node -v still shows [v20.11.0].
This is the output of where.exe node:
[paste it]
And this is the output of nvm list:
[paste it]
Explain which node.exe runs first and how to fix it without breaking my projects.

3. Explain an error

I ran [paste the command] in PowerShell with NVM for Windows 2.0.1
and got this error: [paste the full error]
Explain what it means and how to fix it, step by step.

Read every command before you run it, especially the ones that uninstall programs or change environment variables.

Use a different Node.js version in each project

Save the version a project needs in an .nvmrc file with nvm pin:

cd C:\projects\my-app
nvm pin 26

The file goes into your repository, and anyone with NVM can use the same version. nvm pin can also write the version to .node-version or to engines in package.json with --file.

To install a new version and bring your global packages with you, use --copy-from with the exact old version that nvm list shows, for example nvm install 26 --copy-from=24.22.2.

Common errors with NVM on Windows

Related guides

• How to install NVM on Windows, macOS and Linux
• How to install NVM on Linux
• How to install NVM on Mac
• How to install Git on Windows, macOS and Linux