Error installing on Windows: "Path must be a string. Received undefined"

[alistairmgreen]

The installation command from the README file produces errors on Windows 7:

>  npx npm-merge-driver install --global
npx: installed 1 in 2.163s
Path must be a string. Received undefined
npx: installed 52 in 7.412s
C:\Users\greena2\AppData\Roaming\npm-cache\_npx\6568\node_modules\npm-merge-driver\index.js
Path must be a string. Received undefined

Additional information

• npm version 5.8.0
• node.js version 8.11.1
• Terminal is PowerShell 5.1
• git version 2.16.1.windows.4

[andrewhosgood]

Someone in my team had this issue and it was because there was a space in their $PATH

[Teamop]

Got same error with npm v6.1.0 on win10, but if just install locally npx npm-merge-driver install, successfully

[VoldemLive]

here I was found solution: https://blog.yinaoxiong.cn/2018/08/19/fix-npx-erro.html
Hope this will help you)

[mybluedog24]

Thanks to VoldemLive's solution:

1. run: npm i -g npx upgrade npx to the newest version
2. go to Control Panel -> System and Security -> System -> Advanced system settings -> Environment Variables
3. copy the path for npx from user variables to system variables, the path should be like C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\npm. Make sure this PATH is before the nodejs PATH in system variable.

[GusGusGusGus]

@mybluedog24 should't we refrain from installing global packages due to potential version mismatch in projects and lack of project self-containing? ( https://codeburst.io/maybe-dont-globally-install-that-node-js-package-f1ea20f94a00 )

[GusGusGusGus]

I tried to replicate your steps and neither installing npx locally nor globally registers an Environment Variable on my Windows. I do have an npm env variable on the Roaming folder. Upon inspection, that folder does have an npx text file and a .cmd file. Besides that, on the node_modules folder there is also an npx folder with a bunch of stuff. I keep getting the 'Path must be string error. Received undefined', which I suppose refers to that exact variable.

[mybluedog24]

@GusGusGusGus Yes, it's better to be installed locally. I forgot why I installed it globally. Have you tried run npx -v in your project folder and outside of project folder? If they are different versions then you haven't set the variable properly.

In my user variable I have this:
C:\Users\Frank\AppData\Roaming\npm
and I copy it to global variables before nodejs:

C:\Users\Frank\AppData\Roaming\npm
C:\Program Files\nodejs\

And then everything works. Hope this helps.

[GusGusGusGus]

Yes it did, thank you. When you said:

3. the path should be like C:\Users\{user name}\AppData\Roaming\npm

I thought you meant the npx folder inside npm's folder (simply because it was the only one I could find).
I followed your steps and that solved the "path must be a string, received undefined" error. Npx should warn about this on their instructions.

[aemooooon]

here I was found solution: https://blog.yinaoxiong.cn/2018/08/19/fix-npx-erro.html
Hope this will help you)

中文的，非常感谢。已解决

[Jack-Works]

Run it in PowerShell not cmd