Can't find absolute path to `npm` executable on PATH (Windows)

[nataziel]

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I've searched open issues for similar requests

• [x] Yes

I've recently downloaded the latest plugin version of mason.nvim

• [x] Yes

Problem description

Not 100% sure when this started occurring, but I just noticed this after updating node (installed via scoop). mason healthcheck reports being unable to find the absolute path to the npm executable in $PATH. The absolute path C:/Users/me/scoop/apps/nodejs/current/npm is NOT in $PATH, but the parent directory (C:/Users/me/scoop/apps/nodejs/current) is.

> which npm && where npm
/c/Users/me/scoop/apps/nodejs/current/npm
C:\Users\me\scoop\apps\nodejs\current\npm
C:\Users\me\scoop\apps\nodejs\current\npm.cmd

I think it's due to this change: https://github.com/mason-org/mason.nvim/pull/1885

Expected behavior

Mason correctly finds the npm executable

Steps to reproduce

1. Install npm via scoop install nodejs
2. run :checkhealth mason

Neovim version (>= 0.10.0)

NVIM v0.11.1 Build type: Release LuaJIT 2.1.1741730670

Operating system/version

Windows 11

Healthcheck output

==============================================================================
mason:                                         require("mason.health").check()

mason.nvim ~
- ✅ OK mason.nvim version v2.0.0
- ✅ OK PATH: prepend
- ✅ OK Providers: 
    mason.providers.registry-api
    mason.providers.client
- ✅ OK neovim version >= 0.10.0

mason.nvim [Registries] ~
- ✅ OK Registry `github.com/mason-org/mason-registry version: 2025-05-22-hearty-tapir` is installed.

mason.nvim [Core utils] ~
- ✅ OK unzip: `UnZip 6.00 of 20 April 2009, by Info-ZIP.  Maintained by C. Spieler.  Send`
- ✅ OK wget: `GNU Wget 1.21.4 built on mingw32.
`
- ✅ OK curl: `curl 8.12.1 (Windows) libcurl/8.12.1 Schannel zlib/1.3 WinIDN
`
- ✅ OK gzip: `gzip 1.13`
- ✅ OK tar: `tar (GNU tar) 1.35`
- ✅ OK pwsh: `7.5.1 Microsoft Windows 10.0.22631 Win32NT
`
- ✅ OK 7z: `7-Zip 24.09 (x64) : Copyright (c) 1999-2024 Igor Pavlov : 2024-11-29
`

mason.nvim [Languages] ~
- ⚠️ WARNING Ruby: not available
  - ADVICE:
    - spawn: ruby failed with exit code - and signal -. Could not find executable "ruby" in PATH.

- ⚠️ WARNING Composer: not available
  - ADVICE:
    - spawn: composer failed with exit code - and signal -. Could not find executable "composer" in PATH.

- ⚠️ WARNING PHP: not available
  - ADVICE:
    - spawn: php failed with exit code - and signal -. Could not find executable "php" in PATH.

- ⚠️ WARNING npm: not available
  - ADVICE:
    - spawn: npm failed with exit code - and signal -. Could not find executable "C:/Users/me/scoop/apps/nodejs/current/npm" in PATH.

- ⚠️ WARNING RubyGem: not available
  - ADVICE:
    - spawn: gem failed with exit code - and signal -. Could not find executable "gem" in PATH.

- ⚠️ WARNING javac: not available
  - ADVICE:
    - spawn: javac failed with exit code - and signal -. Could not find executable "javac" in PATH.

- ⚠️ WARNING java: not available
  - ADVICE:
    - spawn: java failed with exit code - and signal -. Could not find executable "java" in PATH.

- ✅ OK cargo: `cargo 1.87.0 (99624be96 2025-05-06)`
- ✅ OK luarocks: `luarocks 3.11.1
`
- ✅ OK Go: `go version go1.24.3 windows/amd64`
- ✅ OK node: `v24.1.0
`
- ✅ OK python: `Python 3.10.14
`
- ✅ OK julia: `julia version 1.11.5`
- ✅ OK pip: `pip 24.0 from C:\Users\me\AppData\Local\miniforge3\lib\site-packages\pip (python 3.10)

`
- ✅ OK python venv: `Ok`

Screenshots

No response

[YourAverageMo]

just came to say im getting this error aswell when trying to install pyright

[NullDott]

Same issue too, can't install or run any package that uses npm in Windows

[YourAverageMo]

TEMP FIX

for those who still get this. i worked around it to install what i needed in the following way. as @nataziel said they think it has to do with the commit #1885 so i just

• revert mason to the commit right before in lazy config using commit = "2fca788",
• restart neovim, open lazy and update mason to pull the commit we just set
• restart again, open mason and install what you need.
• remove commit spec and reupdate mason plugin in lazy to latest.

[NullDott]

Thanks so much, it worked!

[pka420]

TEMP FIX

for those who still get this. i worked around it to install what i needed in the following way. as @nataziel said they think it has to do with the commit #1885 so i just

* revert mason to the commit right before in lazy config using `commit = "2fca788",`

* restart neovim, open lazy and update mason to pull the commit we just set

* restart again, open mason and install what you need.

* remove commit spec and reupdate mason plugin in lazy to latest.

Thanks so much, wasted almost 2 hrs, and cursed windows and chatgpt for all the fixes, but this worked.

[williamboman]

Hello! In neovim, what's your :echo &shell and echo $PATHEXT values? Are you running neovim inside WSL somehow?

[laurenceokite]

Having this issue as well, using git bash in windows, not WSL.

echo &shell gives bash

echo $PATHTEXT gives nothing

echo $PATH gives my path

This has not been a problem until updating mason.

EDIT: Should also mention that this problem specifically DOES NOT occur in WSL.

[williamboman]

Thanks. The problem is that Neovim detects you're using a unix shell (bash) and then assumes that any file inside a directory in PATH is executable if there's a match. Could you confirm the issue disappears if you :set shell=powershell or :set shell=pwsh and then attempt to do the installation in Mason?

[nataziel]

:echo &shell -> C:\Users\me/AppData/Local/Programs/Git/usr/bin/bash.exe :echo $PATHEXT -> .COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH;.MSC

:set shell=powershell does appear to fix the problem

[williamboman]

Thanks! Would you be able to try out https://github.com/mason-org/mason.nvim/pull/1991 (branch fix/windows-exepath-unix-shell) and see if that fixes it (you don't have to manually :set shell=powershell)?

[nataziel]

I was able to install a linter requiring npm after getting mason (via lazy) to point directly to that branch/commit. Unfortunately I don't currently have anything requiring an update but looking at the code it seems like it should act the same in both cases.