Troubleshooting MCP Configuration and npx Issues on Windows

When working with OpenRouter and Claude 3.5 Sonnet, users have run into several problems, especially when it comes to MCP (Model Context Protocol) configuration and using npx on Windows. Many are experiencing a lack of API response after editing the MCP settings json according to the official MCP documentation. Additionally, the 'spawn npx ENOENT' and 'spawn nod ENOENT' errors are quite common on Windows systems.

Root Causes of the Problems

npx as a Script, Not a Binary

On Windows, Node.js has difficulties spawning batch files like npx.cmd without setting the shell option. This is because npx is a script, not a traditional binary. Moreover, by default, node is denied PS1 script execution, which can further complicate matters when trying to run npx-based commands.

Path-Related Issues

Spaces in the file paths can cause errors. Windows file paths with spaces might not be correctly interpreted by certain commands, leading to issues during the execution of MCP-related tasks.

Known Issues with MCP on Windows

The combination of MCP and the current npx issues on Windows means that the mcp-get installation doesn't work as expected. This has led to users exploring various workarounds to get their setups up and running.

Solutions

Global Installation and Node Script Execution

Install the package globally using npm i -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking. Then, run the node script with node and the path to the module. If node isn't recognized, try converting backslashes (\) to forward slashes (/) in the path.

Windows-Specific Definitions

Copy the definitions for Windows from claude_desktop_config.json. In the cline MCP settings, specify paths with double backslashes (\). Manually update servers by running npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking.

• Update-Friendly Workaround

Employ the following update-friendly workaround:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Users\\<my user>\\AppData\\Roaming\\npm\\node_modules\\@modelcontextprotocol\\server-sequential-thinking\\dist\\index.js",
        "C:\\Users\\<my user>\\Projects"
      ]
    }
  }
}

• Another Configuration

Use this configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "github.com/modelcontextprotocol/servers/tree/main/src/sequentialthinking": {
      "command": "cmd",
      "args": [
        "/c",
        "npx",
        "-y",
        "@modelcontextprotocol/server-sequential-thinking"
      ],
      "disabled": false,
      "autoApprove": []
    }
}