# Installing Windows Build Tools

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [1 December 2021 15:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584 "2021-12-01T15:32:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 15\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![binyameenaslam342](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@binyameenaslam342](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/binyameenaslam342)\
**Post date:** [4 December 2021 18:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/21 "2021-12-04T18:17:54Z")

</div>

After I click on the checkbox it installs many tools including python and visual studio etc.. which command should I use to install build tools? `npm install --global --production windows-build-tools` or `npm install --global --production --add-python-to-path windows-build-tools` correct answer is later one I suppose.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [4 December 2021 18:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/22 "2021-12-04T18:21:40Z")

</div>

> [@binyameenaslam342](#):
>
> which command should I use to install build tools

Please read the rest of this thread. You should not need to separately install the build tools, it should be done if you click the checkbox in the nodejs install. The `windows-build-tools` package is no longer supported by its author.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![binyameenaslam342](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@binyameenaslam342](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/binyameenaslam342)\
**Post date:** [5 December 2021 07:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/23 "2021-12-05T07:22:15Z")

</div>

Understood.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![cymplecy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/cymplecy/32/2773_2.png) [@cymplecy](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/cymplecy)\
**Post date:** [6 December 2021 11:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/25 "2021-12-06T11:56:35Z")

</div>

Please delete your post and make a new thread - this is about getting it working on windows 🙂

Linux install uses completely different approach

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [6 December 2021 13:30 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/26 "2021-12-06T13:30:13Z")

</div>

But before starting the new thread please read the text you posted more carefully. In particular:  
You can update to the latest Node-RED 1.x version by adding --nodered-version="1.3.5" to that install command  
and  
you can force an install of node 12 or 14 by using the --node12, --node14 or --node16 parameter

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![binyameenaslam342](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@binyameenaslam342](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/binyameenaslam342)\
**Post date:** [9 December 2021 19:26 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/27 "2021-12-09T19:26:54Z")

</div>

> [@Colin](#):
>
> --nodered-version="1.3.5"

I have created another thread.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![binyameenaslam342](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@binyameenaslam342](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/binyameenaslam342)\
**Post date:** [9 December 2021 19:27 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/28 "2021-12-09T19:27:50Z")

</div>

Yes please read the last part in a new thread.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kevinksdroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@kevinksdroid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kevinksdroid)\
**Post date:** [10 December 2021 02:42 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/29 "2021-12-10T02:42:39Z")

</div>

I found the same issue as well with windows installation. After spending lots of time in the forum I decided to uninstall everything. Then I followed the below procedure in that order:

1. Install nodejs
2. Install python with the python installer, added it to the path
3. WIth visual studio installer, install desktop development environment
4. Install node-red (version v2.1.3)

Even if you have managed to install build tools by checking the option during nodejs installation it took quite lot of time and when completed the node-red-node-serialport didn't install. You can use that as a check to see if build tools are installed properly. I am pretty sure that it won't install as I failed a couple of times. However, following the above procedure in that order would work

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [10 December 2021 10:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/30 "2021-12-10T10:37:42Z")

</div>

I wonder what it is that is unusual about your system that meant that the usual technique did not work.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![binyameenaslam342](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@binyameenaslam342](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/binyameenaslam342)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2021 11:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/31 "2021-12-20T11:28:39Z")

</div>

I will try this.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2021 14:23 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/32 "2021-12-20T14:23:43Z")

</div>

Are you saying that the method of selecting to install the build tools while installing nodejs did not work for you?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kevinksdroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@kevinksdroid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kevinksdroid)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2021 18:20 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/33 "2021-12-20T18:20:12Z")

</div>

I am not sure either. But I did this for nearly 7 machines and it worked fine. The setup mentioned in the node-red website failed. I do however feel that I am installing a lot of unnecessary stuff while using the visualstudio installer. If someone could let me know what all things I should select or unselect from the desktop development with c++, it would be a great help.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![kevinksdroid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/4af34b/32.png) [@kevinksdroid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kevinksdroid)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2021 18:22 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/34 "2021-12-20T18:22:02Z")

</div>

Please do let us know how did it go and also what went wrong with selecting build tools along with nodejs

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![TotallyInformation](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/totallyinformation/32/31_2.png) [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)\
**Post date:** [20 December 2021 19:36 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/35 "2021-12-20T19:36:53Z")

</div>

Check to see if you have the Visual Studio Installer on your system. You can use this as well to update the build tools. I think it gets installed when you select the option in node.js though I'm not entirely certain.

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/7/f/7f4bd3a04604573850c3cdf5c0a0ed844c94fe92.png)

As you can see, it is a specific install module for VS and comes as a package - this is all you need for compiling node.js c++ dependencies. It is really not a good idea to go down the VS Installer rabbit hole any further unless you are a .NET developer because there are thousand of obscure and not so obscure packages, some of which can have a major impact on your PC.

It is, however, safe to update the build tools using the installer. Or you can just ignore them until the next upgrade of Node.js.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [18 February 2022 19:37 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584/36 "2022-02-18T19:37:41Z")

</div>

This topic was automatically closed 60 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.

[Previous page](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/installing-windows-build-tools/54584.md?page=1)