This page gives specific instructions on setting up Node-RED in a Microsoft Windows environment. The instructions are specific to Windows 10 but should also work for Windows 7 and Windows Server from 2008R2. It is not advisable to use versions prior to Windows 7 or Windows Server 2008R2 due to lack of current support.

Quick Start

1. Install Node.js

Download the latest 12.x LTS version of Node.js from the official Node.js home page. It will offer you the best version for your system.

Run the downloaded MSI file. Installing Node.js requires local administrator rights; if you are not a localadministrator, you will be prompted for an administrator password on install. Accept the defaults when installing. After installation completes, close any open command prompts and re-open to ensure new environment variablesare picked up.

Once installed, open a command prompt and run the following command to ensure Node.js and npm are installed correctly.

Using Powershell: node --version; npm --version

Windows Phone 8.1 is the third generation of Microsoft's Windows Phone mobile operating system, succeeding Windows Phone 8.Rolled out at Microsoft's Build Conference in San Francisco, California, on April 2, 2014, it was released in final form to Windows Phone developers on April 14, 2014 and reached general availability on August 4, 2014. If you’re running Windows 8.1 or Windows RT 8.1 and you don’t have the update yet, you can manually check for and install the update by following these steps: Make sure your PC is plugged in and connected to the Internet using a non-metered connection. Cortana, the most amazing feature of Windows Phone 8.1 is right now in beta and restricted to US only. There is a clear logic on why Microsoft has done it but then it doesn’t stop one to try it for features that can work on phone e.g. Setting up a reminder and so on.

Using cmd: node --version && npm --version

You should receive back output that looks similar to:

2. Install Node-RED

Installing Node-RED as a global module adds the command node-red to your system path. Execute the following at the command prompt:

3. Run Node-RED

Once installed, you are ready to run Node-RED.

Alternative Installations on Windows

In this section, we provide you with information on alternative ways to install Node.js, npm and the Windows Build Tools needed to install some Nodes for Node-RED on Windows.

Standard installations of Node.js on Windows require local administrator rights. Download the appropriate version from the official Node.js home page. It will offer you the best version. While you can use either 32 bit or 64 bit versions on 64 bit Windows, it is recommended to use the 64bit version of Node. If for some reason, you need a different installation, you can use the Downloads Page. Android emulator with bluetooth.

There are two potentially useful alternatives to installing Node.js with the MSI installer.

1. Using the Chocolatey package manager

   Chocolatey is a package manager for Windows similar to APT or yum on Linux and brew on the Macintosh platforms. If you are already using Chocolatey, you may want to use this tool to install Node.js (e.g. using the nodejs-lts package). Note however, that many packages have uncertain management and that these packages may use different folder locations than those mentioned above.

2. Using a Node version manager

   Using a Node.js version manager such as nvm-windows can be very helpful if you are doing Node.js development and need to test against different versions. Keep in mind that you will need to reinstall global packages and may need to re-install local packages when when you switch the version of Node you are using.

npm on Windows

When you install Node.js, you are also installing the npm package manager. You may see some instructions on the web that recommend installing later releases of npm than the one that comes with the Node.js release. This is not recommended as it is too easy to later end up with an incompatible version. Node.js releases are very regular and that is sufficient to keep npm updated.

Sharing Node-RED between Users

Node.js is installed into the Program Files folder as you would expect. However, if you install a global package like Node-RED using npm -g, it is installed into the $env:APPDATAnpm folder (%APPDATA%npm using cmd) for the current user. This is less than helpful if you are installing on a PC with multiple user logins or on a server and installing using an admin login rather than the login of the user that will run Node applications like Node-RED.

To fix this, either give permissions to the folder to other users and make sure that the folder is included in their path user environment variable.

Alternatively, change the global file location to somewhere accessible by other users. Make sure that you use the user that will be running Node-RED to make these changes. For example, to change the location to $env:ALLUSERSPROFILEnpmglobal using PowerShell:

You will then want to change the npm cache folder as well:

If using the above changes, you can add the new prefix folder to the PATH System variable and remove the old folder from the user’s Path variable. To change the PATH Environment variable, type environment into the start menu or Cortana and choose Edit Environment Variables.

For each of the users running Node-RED, check that the above settings for the other users are correct.

Installing Node.js Windows Build Tools

Many Node.js modules used by Node-RED or installed nodes have binary components that will need compiling before they will work on Windows. To enable npm to compile binaries on the Windows platform, install the windows-build-tools module using the command prompt as an Administrator:

If you wish to have the built-in Python v2.7 install exposed for use, use the command:

• Not all Node.js modules will work under Windows, check the install output carefully for any errors.
• During the install some errors may be reported by the node-gypcommand. These are typically non-fatal errors and are related to optional dependenciesthat require a compiler in order to build them. Node-RED will work without theseoptional dependencies. If you get fatal errors, first check that you installed the windows-build-tools module and that you have closed and opened your command prompt window.

Install Cortana Windows 8.1 Pc

Running on Windows

Once installed, the simple way to run Node-RED is to use the node-red command in a command prompt:If you have installed Node-RED as a global npm package, you can use the node-red command:

This will output the Node-RED log to the terminal. You must keep the terminal open in order to keep Node-RED running.

Note that running Node-RED will create a new folder in your %HOMEPATH% folder called .node-red. This is your userDir folder, think of it as the home folder for Node-RED configuration for the current user. You will often see this referred to as ~/.node-red in documentation. ~ is shorthand for the user home folder on Unix-like systems. You can use the same reference if using PowerShell as your command line as recommended. If you are using the older cmd shell, that won’t work.

You can now create your first flow.

Using PM2

If you are using Windows to develop Node-RED flows or nodes, you may find it helpful to use PM2 to run Node-RED. This can be configured to automatically restart when files change, always keep Node-RED running and manage log output.

Run Node-RED on Startup

If you want to use Windows as a production platform for Node-RED, you will want to have a Windows Task Scheduler job set up. To do so:

1. Go to the start menu and type “task scheduler” and click on the result.
2. Click on “Create Task…” in the right-hand menu. Follow the steps to create a new task.

Make sure that you use the user login that you’ve used to set up and do the initial run of Node-RED. You can use an “At startup” trigger to always run Node-RED at system startup. Use the Action “Start a program” with details set to C:Users<user>AppDataRoamingnpmnode-red.cmd (replacing <user> with your actual user name).

You may wish to make sure that it only starts if the network is available. You may also wish to restart if the job fails. Perhaps restarting every minute but only 3 times - if it won’t start by then, the error is fatal and will need some other intervention. You can check for failures by looking in the event log. If you want to access to the logs when running this way, you should amend the node-red.cmd file to redirect std and error outputs to a file (creating an alternative startup file would be better so that it isn’t overwritten on updates).

• How to Upgrade your Windows 7/8/8.1 to Windows 10 for Free

by Vlad Tiganasu 5 years ago

How to Upgrade your Windows 7/8/8.1 to Windows 10 for Free

As you might already know, Microsoft is very close to the official launch of its latest version of Windows operating system (on July 29, 2015). Windows 10 will come with many great features, including the improved Start menu, design, Cortana voice assistant, a new web browser (Edge) that will replace the old Internet Explorer, DirectX 12 and more. Microsoft also stated that this will be the last version of their OS with following releases of updates and other improvements.

If you are a licensed user of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, then you are lucky, because you can upgrade your old operating system to the new Windows 10 for free (well, at least for a year), instead of paying $199. Also, if you don't want to wait until the release date, you can try the technical preview (basically, a beta version) which you can easily download via the Windows Insider program (which I will describe below).

Reserve a free copy of Windows 10

Get Windows 10 app

If you decide to upgrade your old operating system to the new Windows 10 (why not?), then, all you have to do is simply reserve a free copy using the new Get Windows 10app. The update will be available on July 29, 2015, but you'll be able to decide upon the installation date for yourself. To reserve the copy, simply click on the small Windows icon from your system tray (view image above), click on the 'Reserve your free upgrade' button and just wait for the official release date. You can also provide your email address if you want to get the confirmation letter or cancel your reservation at any desired time.

Reserve a Copy

On July 29, 2015, you will receive a notification that will tell you that Windows 10 has been downloaded on your PC and is ready to be installed.

Join the Windows Insider program

If you are curious about the new features of Windows 10 and don't want to wait until the official release (like I was), then you can easily get your hands on a free technical preview, which is, basically, a constantly updated beta version.

First, you will have to join the Windows Insider program using your Microsoft account. Once you do that, you will receive an ISO (disc image) file containing your free copy of Windows 10 Technical Preview. You can burn the file to a DVD or a USB flash drive and install it on your PC or use it with your favorite virtual machine.

Windows 10 Technical Preview installation process

If you don't know how to install Windows or just want to avoid any possible mistakes (although the chances for mistakes are very small), then I will describe the process below. Basically, all you have to do is click the 'Next' button over and over again while selecting the desired settings.

Step 1

After burning your Windows 10 disc image file to a bootable DVD or USB flash drive, restart your computer and follow the on-screen instructions (press any key to begin setup).

Step 2

From the first window that will appear, choose the desired language, keyboard input type and click 'Next'.

Language and Keyboard Simpsons hit and run unblocked.

Step 3

Click on the 'Install Now' button.

Install Now

Step 4

Now you are given two options: either upgrade your existing operating system to Windows 10 tech preview or install a fresh copy. In case you are using a virtual machine to test the new OS or want to install a fresh copy without changing any of the previous settings, then you should select the 'Custom' option.

Options

Step 5

Next, you select the drive where Windows 10 will be installed. You can either choose an already existing disk partition (which you should format) or create a new one. Once you have selected the partition, click on the 'Next' button again.

Select Partition

Step 6

Wait for the installation to finish (it should take somewhere around 10-20 minutes, depending on your computer's specs)

Step 7

After the installation is over, your system will reboot. Then you can begin the customizing your operating system. If you are familiar with most of the Windows features, you can click on the 'Custom' button and select which options you want to be enabled. Otherwise, simply use the 'Express Settings' and continue.

Settings

Step 8

Sign into your Microsoft account. It is highly recommended that you to do that, as you won't be able to use many of the new Windows 10 features otherwise (which is the point of installing the technical preview, isn't it?)

Sign In

Step 9

Choose if you want to copy the settings and Windows Store apps from another PC or use it as a new PC and test all the new features without importing any previous settings.

Step 10

Wait for your settings to be applied (a colorful screen will appear) and start exploring the new Windows 10 features. Do not forget to try out the new Cortana voice assistant.

Can I Install Cortana On Windows 8.1 Pc

Windows 10 Desktop

Install Cortana On Windows 8.1 Pc Free

Conclusion

Even if you are a hardcore fan of Windows 7 or Windows 8/8.1, or you have read bad reviews and checked out forums where users don't recommend Windows 10, you might want, at least, to test it out for yourself and make your own opinion. After all, it doesn't take much time to install the new OS.

How To Install Cortana On Windows 8.1 Pc

The free reservation of the Windows 10 is only available for users that have a genuine copy of Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8/8.1.