ENOTEMPTY 📦 npm

npm ERR! code ENOTEMPTY — ENOTEMPTY: directory not empty, rename

npm couldn’t rename a folder in node_modules because it wasn’t empty — usually a corrupted or concurrently modified node_modules.

Seen on: npm

Meaning

Interrupted installs, two npm processes at once, or antivirus/indexers locking files leave node_modules in a broken state.

Common causes

  • Interrupted previous install
  • Two installs running simultaneously
  • Antivirus/file sync locking files

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Delete node_modules and reinstall
  2. Make sure no other npm/IDE process is installing
  3. Exclude the project from file sync/antivirus

Detailed fix by platform

npm

  1. rm -rf node_modules && npm cache verify && npm ci

How to diagnose

  1. Processes — Another npm running?
  2. State — Interrupted install?

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