FATAL ERROR: JavaScript heap out of memory when using any "npm" command

Question

I'm getting error (FATAL ERROR: MarkCompactCollector: semi-space copy, fallback in old gen Allocation failed - JavaScript heap out of memory) when try to run any npm command. Error occurs even by running "npm -v".

have also gone through the thread-(npm install - javascript heap out of memory ) but this didn't helped me out in my case.

Fetal error

    FATAL ERROR: Ineffective mark-compacts near heap limit Allocation failed 
    - 
    JavaScript heap out of memory
    1: 000000013F56F04A 
       v8::internal::GCIdleTimeHandler::GCIdleTimeHandler+5114
    2: 000000013F54A0C6 node::MakeCallback+4518
    3: 000000013F54AA30 node_module_register+2032
    4: 000000013F7D20EE v8::internal::FatalProcessOutOfMemory+846
    5: 000000013F7D201F v8::internal::FatalProcessOutOfMemory+639


    6: 000000013FCF2BC4 v8::internal::Heap::MaxHeapGrowingFactor+9556

     7: 000000013FCE9C46 v8::internal::ScavengeJob::operator=+24310
     8: 000000013FCE829C v8::internal::ScavengeJob::operator=+17740
     9: 000000013FCEE1B7 v8::internal::Heap::CreateFillerObjectAt+1175
    10: 000000013FB7C5B3 
    v8::internal::interpreter::Interpreter::GetDispatchCounters
    Object+78451
    11: 000000013F4D1132 
        v8::internal::StackGuard::ArchiveSpacePerThread+52082
    12: 000000013F4D17F3 
        v8::internal::StackGuard::ArchiveSpacePerThread+53811
    13: 000000013F5B1474 uv_dlerror+2436
    14: 000000013F5B21D8 uv_run+232

15: 000000013F55128E node::NewContext+1390
16: 000000013F55189B node::NewIsolate+603
17: 000000013F551D07 node::Start+839
18: 000000013F40935C node::MultiIsolatePlatform::MultiIsolatePlatform+604
19: 000000013FFAA93C 
   v8::internal::compiler::OperationTyper::ToBoolean+134796
20: 0000000076D3555D BaseThreadInitThunk+13
21: 0000000076F9385D RtlUserThreadStart+29

<--- Last few GCs --->

[13304:0000000000182610]   135335 ms: Mark-sweep 1396.6 (1426.7) -> 1396.6 (1424
.7) MB, 2368.0 / 0.0 ms  (+ 0.0 ms in 1 steps since start of marking, biggest st
ep 0.0 ms, walltime since start of marking 2368 ms) (average mu = 0.099, current
 mu = 0.035) fi[13304:0000000000182610]   135404 ms: Scavenge 1397.6 (1424.7) ->
 1397.1 (1428.2) MB, 3.7 / 0.0 ms  (average mu = 0.099, current mu = 0.035) allo
cation failure


<--- JS stacktrace --->

FATAL ERROR: Ineffective mark-compacts near heap limit Allocation failed - 
JavaS
cript heap out of memory
 1: 000000013FD7F04A v8::internal::GCIdleTimeHandler::GCIdleTimeHandler+5114
 2: 000000013FD5A0C6 node::MakeCallback+4518
 3: 000000013FD5AA30 node_module_register+2032
 4: 000000013FFE20EE v8::internal::FatalProcessOutOfMemory+846
 5: 000000013FFE201F v8::internal::FatalProcessOutOfMemory+639
 6: 0000000140502BC4 v8::internal::Heap::MaxHeapGrowingFactor+9556
 7: 00000001404F9C46 v8::internal::ScavengeJob::operator=+24310
 8: 00000001404F829C v8::internal::ScavengeJob::operator=+17740
 9: 00000001404FE1B7 v8::internal::Heap::CreateFillerObjectAt+1175
10: 000000014038C5B3 
    v8::internal::interpreter::Interpreter::GetDispatchCounters
    Object+78451
11: 000000013FCE1132 v8::internal::StackGuard::ArchiveSpacePerThread+52082
12: 000000013FCE17F3 v8::internal::StackGuard::ArchiveSpacePerThread+53811
13: 000000013FDC1474 uv_dlerror+2436
14: 000000013FDC21D8 uv_run+232
15: 000000013FD6128E node::NewContext+1390
16: 000000013FD6189B node::NewIsolate+603
17: 000000013FD61D07 node::Start+839
18: 000000013FC1935C node::MultiIsolatePlatform::MultiIsolatePlatform+604
19: 00000001407BA93C 
   v8::internal::compiler::OperationTyper::ToBoolean+134796
20: 0000000076D3555D BaseThreadInitThunk+13
21: 0000000076F9385D RtlUserThreadStart+29

Answer 1

You need to raise the amount of memory allowed for node.

You can do that in a global scope by:

1. Open a cmd window
2. Run setx NODE_OPTIONS --max_old_space_size=10240
3. Close all cmd/code editors
4. Reopen cmd and run your node command again (npm, etc.)

Answer 2

I had exactly the same issue and it took ages to find out what was happening. If even npm -v fails on you then your problem is not caused by memory shortage but incorrect settings in .npmrc file. In my case I copied .npmrc from my old machine and I had prefix and cache settings redefined like that:

prefix=D:\npm-projects\npm
cache=D:\npm-projects\npm-cache

On my new machine I have only C:\ drive thus npm was going crazy trying to process these settings. As soon as I changed everything to point to C:\npm-projects\xxxx problem went away.