Requirements
| Requirement | Guidance |
|---|---|
| Installation Media | Download NVM for Windows from the customer portal. The zip file contains everything you need. |
| Supported OS | Windows 111, Windows 2019+ |
| User Privileges | No special permissions required, unless using link mode with UNC paths. |
| Proxy Domain Exceptions | 1. licensing.author.io 2. mirror.author.io (if using Author Software Node.js mirror) Unnecessary in airgapped deployments. |
User Privileges
| If you plan to... | Required Privileges |
|---|---|
| force shim mode... | None. |
| store Node.js versions on a local path... » %LOCALAPPDATA%\Author Software\nvm\installs (default) is local | None. |
use UNC paths (e.g. network shares/mapped drives like \\server\path) in link mode | SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege* |
NVM for Windows link mode uses NTFS junctions to resolve Node.js versions. NTFS Junctions do not require special permissions, but do not support UNC paths (like remote network shares/mapped drives). When the Node.js storage location is configured to use a UNC path, NVM for Windows creates a symlink instead of an NTFS junction. The operating system requires the SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege privilege to do this.
Enabling
SeCreateSymbolicLinkPrivilege- Users with administrative rights have this privilege by default.
- This privilege is granted to users when Windows Developer Mode is enabled.
- This privilege can be granted via group policy by enabling:
Computer Configuration > Windows Settings > Security Settings > Local Policies > User Rights Assignment > Create symbolic links.
Proxy Exceptions
If your organization aggresively blocks traffic to domains, you must allow-list licensing.author.io. This domain provides license keys and public verification keys.
If your organization plans to use the Author Software Node.js mirror service (available in the governance package), mirror.author.io must also be allowed.