[BUG] npx fails to run without empty npm directory

[Vandivier]

Is there an existing issue for this?

• I have searched the existing issues

This issue exists in the latest npm version

• I am using the latest npm

Current Behavior

similar to #6351

I get an error when i run npx create-next-app@latest on a fresh windows machine

Expected Behavior

next.js app is initialized normally; no "folder does not exist" error

Steps To Reproduce

1. on a fresh Windows machine, install node.js with default options
2. make a new directory, enter it, and run npx create-next-app@latest
3. observe that npx fails because there is no npm folder under Roaming. Related Stack Overflow

Environment

details not certain; it was on a student's Windows 10 machine, they installed Node.js today not sure if it was the LTS 20.x or 21.x

[milaninfy]

This does not appear to be an npm issue. It could be Node installation issue.