How to Delete node_modules - Deep Nested Folder in Windows

Question

Upon trying to remove the node_modules directory created by npm install:

The source file name(s) are larger than is supported by the file system. Try moving to a location which has a shorter path name, or try renaming to shorter name(s) before attempting this operation

I also tried shift + delete and still having the same issue.

Answer 1

Since this the top google result, this is what worked for me:

Update, if you have npm v5, use npx:

npx rimraf ./**/node_modules

Otherwise install RimRaf:

npm install rimraf -g

And in the project folder delete the node_modules folder with:

rimraf node_modules

If you want to recursively delete:

rimraf .\**\node_modules

[ http://www.nikola-breznjak.com/blog/nodejs/how-to-delete-node_modules-folder-on-windows-machine/ ]

Answer 2

I've simply done that by using Winrar, this may seem a strange solution but working very well.

• right click on node_modules folder
• select Add to archive ... from the menu.
• Winrar dialog opens
• just check the option delete files after archiving
• Don't forget to delete the node_modules.rar after finished.

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[UPDATE] This also works with 7Zip

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