Install Node.js and Verify npm

npm (Node Package Manager) is included with Node.js. Download and install Node.js from its official website. After installation, verify both tools by running:

node -v
npm -v

By default, npm stores global packages and cache in the user directory (e.g., C:\Users\<User>\AppData\Roaming\npm). To relocate these directories:

Relocate Global and Cache Directories

Create two folders under your preferred Node.js installation path, such as D:\nodejs\node_global and D:\nodejs\node_cache. Then configure npm to use them:

npm config set prefix "D:\nodejs\node_global"
npm config set cache "D:\nodejs\node_cache"

Confirm the change with:

npm list -g --depth=0

Configure a Faster Registry Mirror

To speed up package downloads, especially in regions with restricted access to the default npm registry, switch to a mirror like Taobao:

npm config set registry https://registry.npmmirror.com

View current configurations using:

npm config list

These setting are saved in .npmrc located in your user home directory.

Update npm Globally

Ensure you’re using the latest version of npm:

npm install npm@latest -g

Add Global Binaries to System PATH

Add D:\nodejs\node_global to your system’s PATH environment variable so globally installed binaries (like vue, bower, etc.) can be executed from any terminal.

Install Vue.js in a Project

Navigate to your project root and initialize a package.json file if it doesn’t exist:

npm init -y

Then install Vue as a project dependency:

npm install vue --save

This adds Vue to your dependencies in package.json and downloads it into the node_modules folder.