'vite' is not recognized as an internal or external command

The error 'vite' is not recognized as an internal or external command typically occurs when trying to use the Vite command in the terminal or command prompt, but the system fails to locate the Vite executable. This issue generally arises due to improper installation of Vite, incorrect PATH settings, or using a command that’s not available in the current environment.

These are the following ways to fix that:

Ensure Vite is Installed Globally

Vite can be installed globally on your system using npm. If it's not installed, or if the installation was not successful, you’ll encounter this error. Ensure that Vite is installed globally by running the following command:

Syntax:

npm install -g vite

After running this command, you should be able to use the vite command directly. If successful, the command prompt will allow you to use vite commands without errors.

Use npx to Run Vite Without Installing Globally

If you don’t want to install Vite globally, you can use npx to run Vite. npx is a package runner tool that comes with npm 5.2+ and higher.

Syntax:

npx vite

This command runs Vite without the need for a global installation.

Check and Update PATH Environment Variable

The error might occur if the global npm directory is not included in your system's PATH environment variable. You need to ensure that the npm global directory is correctly set in the PATH.

For Windows:

• Go to Control Panel → System → Advanced system settings.
• Click on Environment Variables.
• Find the Path variable in the System variables section and click on Edit.
• Add the npm global directory path (usually C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\npm).

For macOS/Linux: Add the following line to your ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or ~/.profile file:

export PATH=$PATH:/user/locl/share/npm/bin

Install Vite Locally and Use via npm Scripts

This approach uses the locally installed Vite version to start the development server. You can also install Vite locally within a project and run it via npm scripts.

Syntax:

npm install vite --save-dev

• Add a script in your package.json:

"script":{
"dev":"vite"
}

• Run the command to check the installation of vite

npm run dev 

Reinstall Node.js and npm

If none of the above methods work, the issue might be with your Node.js or npm installation. Reinstalling Node.js and npm can resolve the issue.

• Uninstall Node.js from your system.
• Download the latest version from the official website and install it.
• Check for the version after installation:

node -v
npm -v

After reinstallation, ensure that both Node.js and npm are correctly installed by checking their versions.