Install Node.js on Windows

Essential Runtime Environments for the Three Major AI Coding Tools

💡 Important note

Claude Code, CodeX, and Gemini CLI all require a Node.js 18+ runtime environment. If you have already installed Node.js 18 or later, you can skip this section. Verification command: node -v

Method 1: Official Installer (Recommended)

Visit the official Node.js website: https://nodejs.org/zh-cn/download
Download the LTS (Long-Term Support) version of the Windows Installer (.msi)
Run the installer package and complete the installation using the default settings
The installer will automatically configure the system PATH environment variable

Method 2: Install via Package Manager

Using Winget

Windows 11 or the latest version of Windows 10:

powershell

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

Using Chocolatey

You must install Chocolatey first:

powershell

choco install nodejs-lts

Using Scoop

powershell

scoop install nodejs-lts

Verify installation

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell, then run:

powershell

node --version
npm --version

If a version number is displayed (such as v18.x.x or later), the installation was successful.

Frequently Asked Questions

Prompt: "is not recognized as an internal or external command"

Reopen the terminal window
Check whether the PATH environment variable includes the Node.js path
Restart your computer and try again

Installation Failed

Run the installer as an administrator
Disable your antivirus software and try again
Check whether the system drive has enough free space

Next steps

✅ Environment setup is complete!

You can now continue installing Claude Code, CodeX, or Gemini CLI.

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