Tested on: Windows 11 (HP ZBook Firefly), Node.js v24.22.1 (LTS), npm 11.19.1, MCP Inspector v2.12.0, official filesystem MCP server, 23 October 2026.

MCP (Model Context Protocol) is an open standard that lets AI apps connect to tools and data in a common format. I installed the official filesystem MCP server, connected to it using the MCP Inspector, and ran two of its tools against a test folder. It worked on my second attempt. The first attempt failed on Windows, and the fix was one small change to the command.

What You Need

Windows with PowerShell

Node.js (LTS version)

A test folder with a few harmless files

Step 1: Install Node.js and Check It

I installed Node.js with Winget:

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

After closing and reopening PowerShell, I checked the versions:

node --version

npm --version

My output was v24.22.1 for Node and 11.19.1 for npm.

First Problem: npm Was Blocked

node --version worked, but npm --version showed a red error saying running scripts is disabled on this system.…