the term 'node' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program. check the spelling of the name, or if a path was included, verify that the path is correct and try again.

The error message "the term 'node' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program" typically occurs when the Node.js runtime is not properly installed or the system's PATH environment variable is not set correctly. Here are the steps to troubleshoot and resolve this issue:

  1. Check Node.js Installation: Verify that Node.js is installed on your machine. You can do this by opening a command prompt or terminal window and running the following command:
node -v

If Node.js is installed, it will display the version number. If it's not installed, you can download and install it from the official Node.js website (https://nodejs.org).

  1. Verify PATH Environment Variable: The PATH environment variable is used to specify the directories where executable files are located. It needs to include the path to the Node.js installation directory. To check if the PATH variable is set correctly, follow these steps:

  2. On Windows:

    • Open the Start menu and search for "Environment Variables".
    • Click on "Edit the system environment variables".
    • In the System Properties window, click on the "Environment Variables" button.
    • In the "System variables" section, scroll down and find the "Path" variable. Select it and click on "Edit".
    • Ensure that the Node.js installation directory is listed in the "Variable value" field. The default path is typically "C:\Program Files\nodejs\".
    • If the path is not present, click on "New" and add it manually.
    • Click "OK" to save the changes and close the windows.

  3. On macOS and Linux:

    • Open a terminal window.
    • Run the following command to check if Node.js is in the PATH: node -v
    • If you receive an error or the command doesn't display the version number, you need to add the Node.js installation directory to the PATH.
    • Locate your shell's configuration file (e.g., ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, ~/.bash_profile, or ~/.profile).
    • Open the file in a text editor and add the following line at the end: export PATH="/path/to/node/bin:$PATH" Replace "/path/to/node" with the actual path to the Node.js installation directory.
    • Save the file and close the text editor.
    • Run the following command to apply the changes: source ~/.bashrc Replace ~/.bashrc with the location and name of your shell's configuration file.

  4. Restart the Terminal: After making changes to the PATH environment variable, it's important to close and reopen any open terminal or command prompt windows. This will ensure that the changes take effect.

  5. Verify Node.js Installation: Open a new terminal or command prompt window and run the following command again to verify that Node.js is now recognized:

node -v

If it displays the version number without any error, then Node.js is installed correctly and recognized by the system.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue and use the Node.js command-line tools without encountering the error message.