Error downloading node 14.21.3/14.20.0 with NVM. The system cannot find the file specified.

Updated: Feb 12, 2025

Error downloading node 14.21.3/14.20.0 with NVM. The system cannot find the file specified.

When encountering an error message like "Error downloading node 14.21.3/14.20.0 with NVM. The system cannot find the file specified," it usually indicates that there is a problem with the Node.js installation using NVM (Node Version Manager) on your system. Here are some steps you can take to troubleshoot and resolve this issue:

  1. Check your internet connection: Ensure that your internet connection is stable and working correctly. You can try to download a file from another website to confirm if the issue is with your internet connection.
  2. Check NVM installation: Verify that NVM is installed correctly on your system. Open a command prompt or terminal window and type the following command: nvm --version. If NVM is installed correctly, you should see the version number displayed. If not, you may need to reinstall NVM.
  3. Check Node.js binary directory: NVM stores Node.js binaries in a directory called node_cache. You can check if the Node.js binary you are trying to download is already present in this directory. Open a command prompt or terminal window and type the following command: dir C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\nvm\node_cache. Replace <username> with your Windows username. If the Node.js binary is present, you can try to use it directly instead of downloading it again.
  4. Clear NVM cache: Sometimes, the NVM cache can cause issues with Node.js downloads. You can try clearing the cache by deleting the node_cache directory. Open a command prompt or terminal window and type the following command: rm -rf C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\nvm\node_cache. Replace <username> with your Windows username.
  5. Reinstall Node.js: If none of the above steps work, you may need to reinstall Node.js using NVM. Open a command prompt or terminal window and type the following command: nvm install 14.21.3. This command will install Node.js version 14.21.3. If you want to install a different version, replace 14.21.3 with the desired version number.

I hope this helps you resolve the issue with downloading Node.js using NVM. Let me know if you have any questions or if there is anything else I can help you with.