How to fix npm WARN old lockfile The package-lock.json file was created with an old version of npm in npm | DevErrors

How to fix "npm WARN old lockfile The package-lock.json file was created with an old version of npm"

1Regenerate the lockfile

Update package-lock.json to your current npm version:

bash

# Regenerate lockfile without reinstalling
npm install --package-lock-only

# If that fails, try with legacy peer deps
npm install --package-lock-only --legacy-peer-deps

Commit the updated lockfile.

2Full clean reinstall

For a complete reset:

bash

# Remove existing files
rm -rf node_modules package-lock.json

# Reinstall everything
npm install

This generates a fresh lockfile with your current npm version.

3Standardize npm version across team

Create an .nvmrc file to pin Node version:

bash

# Create .nvmrc with your Node version
node -v > .nvmrc

# Team members can then run
nvm use

Add engines to package.json:

json

{
  "engines": {
    "node": ">=18.0.0",
    "npm": ">=9.0.0"
  }
}

4Force specific lockfile version

npm 8.1.0+ can write older lockfile formats:

bash

# Write lockfileVersion 1 for npm v6 compatibility
npm install --lockfile-version=1

# Write lockfileVersion 2 (default for npm 7-8)
npm install --lockfile-version=2

5Use npm ci in CI/CD

npm ci installs from lockfile without modifying it:

bash

# In CI/CD pipelines
npm ci

This respects the existing lockfile exactly and fails if there's a mismatch with package.json.

How to fix npm WARN old lockfile The package-lock.json file was created with an old version of npm in npm

What this error means

Typical symptoms

Common causes

How to fix "npm WARN old lockfile The package-lock.json file was created with an old version of npm"

Advanced notes

Related errors

Official resources & further reading