Where Is the Volta Home Directory?
Volta stores Node toolchains, package images, and inventory data under VOLTA_HOME. A bin folder holds shims that route node, npm, and related commands to the pinned version.
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VOLTA_HOME is the single data root for Volta installs. It holds cached installers, unpacked tool images, and per user toolchain state.
The default is ~/.volta on Unix and LocalAppData Volta on Windows. Setting VOLTA_HOME moves the data root, while the installer binaries on Windows live separately under Program Files.
Where Volta stores this, by platform
~/.volta/tools/image/node/<version>
Replace <version> with the Node version string. Full layout includes tools/inventory for downloads, tools/image for unpacked tools, tools/user for defaults, and bin for shims. Set VOLTA_HOME to override the root. Ensure the bin folder is on PATH through shell profile entries.
~/.volta/tools/image/node/<version>
Replace <version> with the Node version string. Inventory, image, and user data live under tools. Shims live under bin. Shell profiles export VOLTA_HOME and prepend the bin folder to PATH. Defaults live in tools/user/platform.json.
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Volta\tools\image\node\<version>
Replace <user> with the Windows account name and <version> with the Node version string. Default shims for node, npm, and yarn may also appear under Program Files Volta on Windows. User shims live under the VOLTA_HOME bin folder. The installer adds that bin folder to the user Path.
Frequently asked questions
How do I verify the active Volta paths?
Check VOLTA_HOME in the shell and list the bin and tools folders under it. Run volta setup to repair PATH entries for shims. Inspect tools/user/platform.json for the default toolchain.
Why is Volta still using the old directory after I set VOLTA_HOME?
Shell profiles may still export the old value or prepend the old bin folder to PATH. Update profile files and open a new shell. On Windows check the user Path entry for a stale Volta bin folder.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.