# Simpletime Cannot read property 'nodes' of null
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359
**Category:** General
**Created:** [1 June 2025 07:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359 "2025-06-01T07:40:53Z")
**Posts on this page:** 10
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@khfischbach](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/khfischbach)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 07:40 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/1 "2025-06-01T07:40:53Z")
I had to reinstall my Homematic-IP CCU3 from my backup.
Node-Red is missing two modules.
When installing node-red-contrib-simpletime I get the error:
`Cannot read property 'nodes' of null`
What could be the reason?
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 07:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/2 "2025-06-01T07:56:53Z")
> [@khfischbach](#):
>
> When installing node-red-contrib-simpletime I get the error:
> `Cannot read property 'nodes' of null`
Can you show us where you are seeing that error please?
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### Author:  [@khfischbach](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/khfischbach)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 08:16 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/3 "2025-06-01T08:16:40Z")
1. I use the Palette to install modules
2. I click install in the palette list where I searched for simpletime (only 1 result)
3. I confirm to install
4. the message shows up in the screen to tell me something went wrong! When I open the option "view log" nothing special is shown there.
Anyhow, the module is not installed!
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 08:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/4 "2025-06-01T08:28:49Z")
What version of nodejs are you using?
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### Author:  [@khfischbach](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/khfischbach)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 08:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/5 "2025-06-01T08:50:03Z")
Since I am working on a homematic-ip ccu3, unfortunately a very old one. There is no update for this: v14.16.0
But - the system was running before the restore.
I proably need a way to install the module simpletime working with this "old" version of node.js.
Unfortunately I am not able to find out what version of simpletime was installed before the restore. The backup does not save the directory node\_modules - unfortunately.
The backup routine is one provided by the ccu3-environment.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 09:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/6 "2025-06-01T09:06:04Z")
Is there a package-lock.json in the backup? That contains the version numbers of installed nodes.
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 09:31 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/7 "2025-06-01T09:31:13Z")
In fact, if you restore package.json and package-lock.json from the backup and remove the node\_modules folder, then go into your .node-red folder (or wherever the flows file is) and run
`npm install`
it will install all the previous nodes at the versions that you had previously.
Then restart node-red.
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### Author:  [@khfischbach](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/khfischbach)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 10:07 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/8 "2025-06-01T10:07:04Z")
@Colin thanks for the hint. I will look into the backup and try to follow your suggestion. I will come back with update later.
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### Author:  [@TotallyInformation](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/TotallyInformation)
#### Post date: [1 June 2025 10:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/9 "2025-06-01T10:44:07Z")
> [@khfischbach](#):
>
> node-red-contrib-simpletime
Just noting that you don't actually need a custom node for this.
You can use the MomentJS library in a change node by using JSONata.
In a function node, you could reference Node.JS's INTL functions.
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [30 August 2025 10:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/simpletime-cannot-read-property-nodes-of-null/97359/10 "2025-08-30T10:44:37Z")
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