nextjs - 💡(How to fix) Fix Next.js create-next-app fails with npm on Windows (Node.js v22.19.0, EPERM cleanup error) [1 comments, 2 participants]

Link to the code that reproduces this issue

This issue occurs during the project creation process itself, before any files are generated. There is no reproducible repository because npx create-next-app fails during installation. However, you can reproduce it by simply running this command on Windows: npx create-next-app@latest nextjs-demo --yes in a directory that contains & in its path (for example: D:\Nextjs & Drizzle\Projects). Using the canary version also fails with the same result.

To Reproduce

Open PowerShell on Windows (even as Administrator).

Navigate to a directory containing special characters such as & (for example: D:\Nextjs & Drizzle\Projects).

Run the command: npx create-next-app@latest nextjs-demo --yes

The installation process fails during dependency installation.

Errors observed include:

npm warn cleanup Failed to remove some directories

npm error EPERM: operation not permitted, rmdir ...

npm error Error: Cannot find module 'D:\napi-postinstall\lib\cli.js'

npm error 'Drizzle\Projects\nextjs-demo\node_modules.bin' is not recognized as an internal or external command

When using pnpm or bun instead of npm, the project installs successfully without any errors.

Current vs. Expected behavior

Current behavior:

Installation aborts midway with EPERM cleanup warnings and MODULE_NOT_FOUND errors.

npm fails to properly remove or access certain directories during dependency installation.

The issue occurs only when using npm/npx on Windows, especially with folders containing "&" in the path.

Expected behavior:

npx create-next-app should successfully create a new Next.js app regardless of npm version, Node.js version, or folder name.

The setup process should complete normally without EPERM or MODULE_NOT_FOUND errors.

Provide environment information

Provide environment information:

Operating System: Windows 10

Node.js version: v22.19.0

npm version: 10.x (default with Node 22)

create-next-app version: latest

Project path: D:\Nextjs & Drizzle\Projects\nextjs-demo

Reproducible with npm only; works fine with pnpm and bun.

Which area(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

create-next-app

Which stage(s) are affected? (Select all that apply)

next dev (local)

Additional context

The issue seems to be related to npm’s cleanup process and Windows path handling when special characters (like &) are present. This might also be related to how Node.js 22 interacts with npm on Windows environments.

Temporary workaround: Use pnpm or bun to create the project instead: pnpm create next-app nextjs-demo or bun create next-app nextjs-demo

Both work without any issues.