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{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"DiscussionForumPosting","headline":"Building on Windows: misleading messages when ClangCL is missing","articleBody":"## Situation\n\nStarting with Node.js 24, ClangCL is required to compile on Windows. (see [BUILDING.md](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/BUILDING.md#option-1-manual-install)).\n\nWhen executing `.\\vcbuild` on Windows in v24.x and higher branches, if Visual Studio is installed without ClangCL, then the logs can be misinterpreted:\n\n```text\nUsing ClangCL because the Node.js version being compiled is \u003e= 24.\nLooking for Visual Studio 2026\nLooking for Visual Studio 2022\nFailed to find a suitable Visual Studio installation or Clang compiler/LLVM toolset.\n```\n\n\"Using ClangCL\" sounds as though ClangGL has been found and then combined with the other lines it sounds like Visual Studio wasn't found. In fact Visual Studio **was** found and it is just ClangCL that is missing.\n\n## Steps to reproduce\n\n- Remove any existing Visual Studio installations. Install Visual Studio Build Tools 2026 (v18)\nhttps://aka.ms/vs/stable/vs_buildtools.exe with workload \"Desktop development with C++\"\n\n- Install other prerequisites for Windows as described in [BUILDING.md](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/BUILDING.md#option-1-manual-install)\n\nIn PowerShell on Windows 11 25H2:\n\n```shell\ngit clone https://github.com/nodejs/node.git\ncd node\ngit checkout main # if already cloned\n.\\vcbuild\n```\n\n## Logs\n\n```text\n.\\vcbuild\nLooking for Python\nPython found in C:\\Users\\mikem\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\\\python.exe\nPython 3.14.2\nLooking for NASM\nUsing ClangCL because the Node.js version being compiled is \u003e= 24.\nLooking for Visual Studio 2026\nLooking for Visual Studio 2022\nFailed to find a suitable Visual Studio installation or Clang compiler/LLVM toolset.\nTry to run in a \"Developer Command Prompt\" or consult\nhttps://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/HEAD/BUILDING.md#windows\n```\n\n## Suggestion\n\nIn [vcbuild.bat](https://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/main/vcbuild.bat):\n\n1. Change the text from \"Using ClangCL ...\" to \"ClangCL is required because the Node.js version being compiled is \u003e= 24.\" or similar.\n\nhttps://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/57a71cd50dc78657367eb822ec2a3bfe1c0ef54a/vcbuild.bat#L249\n\n2. Change \"Failed to find a suitable Visual Studio installation or Clang compiler/LLVM toolset.\" to\n\"Failed to find a suitable Visual Studio installation with Clang compiler/LLVM toolset.\". In other words, change \"or\" to \"with\".\n\nhttps://github.com/nodejs/node/blob/57a71cd50dc78657367eb822ec2a3bfe1c0ef54a/vcbuild.bat#L327\n","author":{"url":"https://github.com/MikeMcC399","@type":"Person","name":"MikeMcC399"},"datePublished":"2026-01-19T11:12:49.000Z","interactionStatistic":{"@type":"InteractionCounter","interactionType":"https://schema.org/CommentAction","userInteractionCount":1},"url":"https://github.com/61437/node/issues/61437"}