Summary

On Windows, installing a plugin with openclaw plugins install fails with a spawn npm ENOENT error, even though Node.js and npm are correctly installed and available in PATH.

The issue occurs in both cmd.exe and PowerShell, indicating this is not shell-specific but a Windows process spawning issue.

Steps to reproduce

1. Install OpenClaw on Windows using the official installer:

   install.cmd```
   

Open a new terminal (cmd.exe or PowerShell).

Run:
openclaw plugins install @openclaw/voice-call

Expected behavior
The plugin should be installed successfully using npm, assuming Node.js and npm are installed and vailable in the environment.

Actual behavior
The command fails with the following error in both cmd.exe and PowerShell:

[openclaw] Failed to start CLI: Error: spawn npm ENOENT
    at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:285:19)
With NODE_DEBUG=child_process enabled, OpenClaw is observed attempting to spawn npm directly.

Environment
Clawdbot version: 2026.1.29

OS: Windows 11 (x64)

Install method: install.cmd / install.ps1 (official Windows installer)

Shells tested: cmd.exe, PowerShell

Node.js: Installed and working

npm: Installed and working (npm -v succeeds in the same terminal)

Logs or screenshots:
Error: spawn npm ENOENT
This suggests OpenClaw is spawning npm without handling Windows-specific behavior (e.g. using npm.cmd or enabling shell: true).