# Node group in left column disappeared after I installed additional nodes
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421
**Category:** General
**Created:** [4 June 2025 20:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421 "2025-06-04T20:46:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@nexusnet](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nexusnet)
#### Post date: [4 June 2025 20:46 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/1 "2025-06-04T20:46:36Z")
I'm working with Sequent Microsystems RasPi boards on an RPI4. OS, NR and everything else is up to date. I installed nodes for their 3 relays board yesterday, which showed up as expected in a group named Sequent Microsystems. Today I added nodes for 2 more boards (RTD temp sensor and cpu smart fan). After stop/start of the background NR process and refreshing my tab in Chromium, the entire Sequent Microsystems group disappeared. No group. No nodes. I tried reloading the one that worked yesterday. That did not cause the group to reappear. All I have in my tab now is the two test flows that I created - those are running. And I have the OOTB groups and nodes. Any suggestions on how to resolve this - or how to even determine if the Sequent nodes that I loaded are still loaded?
Follow-up: the above was happening in Chromium on the RPI4. I cross-tested from my Win 11 laptop in Chrome - same situation appears there - group gone, nodes gone.
Second update: I discovered User Settings / Nodes and have "module not found" warnings by all Sequent nodes. This is odd, as the 3 Relays nodes were present, thus presumably found, yesterday thru this afternoon when I loaded nodes for the other two boards. 3 Relays had a "requires update" button, which I applied. No errors, and the dialogue indicates successful update to 1.0.1. The item, however, remains in a "module not found" state.
Third update: If I keep writing to myself, I'll eventually solve this problem! Another stop/start and tab refresh corrected the issue for 3 Relays. the Sequent group is back. Nodes for the other two boards remain absent, as those two remain in the "module not found" state. Will research that and post anything I find that works.
Thanks,
Robert
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [4 June 2025 21:05 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/2 "2025-06-04T21:05:07Z")
Welcome to the forum @nexusnet
Stop node red then start it again in a command window. Copy/paste the full startup log here please. Also post the contents of the file package.json from the folder where your node-red flows are located. If you installed node red using the [recommended method](https://nodered.org/docs/getting-started/raspberrypi) for a pi then you can stop and start node-red using
`node-red-stop`
`node-red-start`
Edit: If you uninstall the final nodes that you installed and restart node-red does it recover the situation?
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### Author:  [@nexusnet](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nexusnet)
#### Post date: [4 June 2025 21:19 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/3 "2025-06-04T21:19:17Z")
Startup log contains entry "[node-red-contrib-sm-sfan/sfan] Error cannot find module i2c-bus". Am researching that now. Will uninstall the two problem items. My forum login is on a different machine than NR. Will copy log and package.json in a minute.
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### Author:  [@nexusnet](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nexusnet)
#### Post date: [4 June 2025 21:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/4 "2025-06-04T21:31:26Z")
Here is the log:
- /home/robert/rtd-rpi/node-red-contrib-sm-rtd/rtd.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/loader.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/lib/red.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/red.js
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [warn] [node-red-contrib-sm-sfan/sfan] Error: Cannot find module 'i2c-bus'
Require stack:
- /home/robert/SmartFan-rpi/node-red-contrib-sm-sfan/sfan.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/loader.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/lib/red.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/red.js
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [warn] ------------------------------------------------------
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [info] Settings file : /home/robert/.node-red/settings.js
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [info] Context store : 'default' [module=memory]
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [info] User directory : /home/robert/.node-red
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [info] Flows file : /home/robert/.node-red/flows.json
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [info] Server now running at [http://127.0.0.1:1880/](http://127.0.0.1:1880/)
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [info] Starting flows
4 Jun 17:01:37 - [info] Started flows
---
### Author:  [@nexusnet](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nexusnet)
#### Post date: [4 June 2025 21:32 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/5 "2025-06-04T21:32:19Z")
Here is package.json:
{
"name": "node-red-project",
"description": "initially created for you by Node-RED 4.0.9",
"version": "0.0.1",
"private": true,
"dependencies": {
"node-red-contrib-buffer-parser": "^3.2.2",
"node-red-contrib-play-audio": "^2.5.0",
"node-red-contrib-sm-3relind": "~1.0.1",
"node-red-contrib-sm-rtd": "file:../rtd-rpi/node-red-contrib-sm-rtd",
"node-red-contrib-sm-sfan": "file:../SmartFan-rpi/node-red-contrib-sm-sfan",
"node-red-node-pi-gpio": "^2.0.6",
"node-red-node-ping": "^0.3.3",
"node-red-node-random": "^0.4.1",
"node-red-node-serialport": "^2.0.3",
"node-red-node-smooth": "^0.1.2",
"rpio": "^2.4.2"
}
}
---
### Author:  [@nexusnet](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nexusnet)
#### Post date: [4 June 2025 22:21 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/6 "2025-06-04T22:21:30Z")
I have specifically cloned and loaded the i2c module that SM uses in their smart fan and RTD modules, but still get an error that i2c is not found:
# Welcome to Node-RED
4 Jun 18:11:41 - [info] Node-RED version: v4.0.9
4 Jun 18:11:41 - [info] Node.js version: v20.19.2
4 Jun 18:11:41 - [info] Linux 6.12.25+rpt-rpi-v8 arm64 LE
4 Jun 18:11:42 - [info] Loading palette nodes
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [warn] ------------------------------------------------------
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [warn] [node-red-contrib-sm-sfan/sfan] Error: Cannot find module 'i2c-bus'
Require stack:
- /home/robert/SmartFan-rpi/node-red-contrib-sm-sfan/sfan.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/loader.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/lib/red.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/red.js
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [warn] ------------------------------------------------------
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [info] Settings file : /home/robert/.node-red/settings.js
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [info] Context store : 'default' [module=memory]
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [info] User directory : /home/robert/.node-red
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [info] Flows file : /home/robert/.node-red/flows.json
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [info] Server now running at [http://127.0.0.1:1880/](http://127.0.0.1:1880/)
4 Jun 18:11:43 - [info] Starting flows
4 Jun 18:11:44 - [info] Started flows
Oddly, the i2c nodes show up in their group, as do the nodes for the SM 3 relays board. Clearly there's a disconnect between what the SM fan module (the one I'm using to debug this) is expecting and the way I've loaded i2c.
---
### Author:  [@nexusnet](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nexusnet)
#### Post date: [5 June 2025 02:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/7 "2025-06-05T02:48:42Z")
I have solved the missing i2c-bus module problem and now get an error that rpio cannot be found. Minimal info on this is available on the SM site, and web searches have not shed further light on installing rpio. Startup log follows. Has anyone seen this rpio error?
# Welcome to Node-RED
4 Jun 22:20:32 - [info] Node-RED version: v4.0.9
4 Jun 22:20:32 - [info] Node.js version: v20.19.2
4 Jun 22:20:32 - [info] Linux 6.12.25+rpt-rpi-v8 arm64 LE
4 Jun 22:20:33 - [info] Loading palette nodes
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [warn] ------------------------------------------------------
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [warn] [node-red-contrib-sm-sfan/sfan] Error: Cannot find module 'rpio'
Require stack:
- /home/robert/SmartFan-rpi/node-red-contrib-sm-sfan/sfan.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/loader.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/registry/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/nodes/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/node\_modules/@node-red/runtime/lib/index.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/lib/red.js
- /usr/lib/node\_modules/node-red/red.js
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [warn] ------------------------------------------------------
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [info] Settings file : /home/robert/.node-red/settings.js
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [info] Context store : 'default' [module=memory]
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [info] User directory : /home/robert/.node-red
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [warn] Projects disabled : editorTheme.projects.enabled=false
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [info] Flows file : /home/robert/.node-red/flows.json
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [info] Server now running at [http://127.0.0.1:1880/](http://127.0.0.1:1880/)
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [info] Starting flows
4 Jun 22:20:35 - [info] Started flows
---
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [5 June 2025 12:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/8 "2025-06-05T12:40:10Z")
What do you see if, in your .node-red folder, you run
`npm remove node-red-contrib-sm-sfan`
`npm install node-red-contrib-sm-sfan`
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### Author:  [@hardillb](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/hardillb)
#### Post date: [6 June 2025 07:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/9 "2025-06-06T07:35:33Z")
This feels like it might be a failing SD card
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [6 June 2025 07:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/10 "2025-06-06T07:40:22Z")
I suspect a missing build-essential.
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### Author:  [@nexusnet](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/nexusnet)
#### Post date: [6 June 2025 09:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/11 "2025-06-06T09:38:32Z")
As I’d experienced a string of issues, I decided on a clean reinstall from OS up. This time everything went smoothly. I skipped the nodes for the fan card, as I don’t need to control it from NR. The RPI 4 and NR both are working as expected. 😁
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [4 September 2025 09:38 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-group-in-left-column-disappeared-after-i-installed-additional-nodes/97421/12 "2025-09-04T09:38:56Z")
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