Cannot delete node_modules

Node likes to install stuff inside node_modules with stupidly nested folder structures containing dependencies of dependencies of dependencies. When trying to clean out these folders, Windows fails saying the directory structure is too deep / path is too long.

I’ve seen suggestions to use 7-zip file manager, Total Commander, various command lines. None worked for me.

I came across this post: How to delete node_modules folder on Windows machine? but when I tried it, the command just sat there and did nothing. Steps to make it work are:

1. Command prompt as administrator
2. npm install rimraf -g
3. Change to the directory containing node_modules
4. Ensure that no processes have a hold of the node_modules directory. This is the important step - Windows Explorer or anything else can’t have a window open or it will be locked.
5. rimraf node_modules