npm / npm/documentation

[BUG] Option 2 of "upgrade npm on windows" made windows not recognize npm

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Description

What / Why

Option 2 of "upgrade npm on windows" made windows not recognize npm as a command
https://docs.npmjs.com/try-the-latest-stable-version-of-npm

How

I deleted npm and npm.cmd from nodejs/, and even though C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\npm is still listed in the path and npm config get prefix -g did return C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\npm, windows won't recognize npm as a command anymore.
(it turns out this folder is empty, I should have checked myself but I trusted the docs)

Expected Behavior

I think the doc should include a warning about this method being dangerous or just be clearer about who can apply it, because evidently I wasn't one of them.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start with the linked npm documentation page and review the instructions for upgrading npm on Windows, especially Option 2. Confirm how the procedure affects npm and npm.cmd, then update the guidance with a warning or clearer applicability requirements so users can avoid losing the npm command.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
nodejs
Domain
documentation
Issue type
Documentation
Difficulty
2/5
Estimated time
1-3 hours
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Mostly clear
Newbie friendliness
45/100

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