A Beginner’s Guide to Clean Installation of React Native on Windows (With Fixes to Common Errors)

---

If you’re a beginner struggling to set up a React Native environment on a Windows machine, you’re not alone. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the correct way to install React Native from scratch and provide fixes to common errors I personally encountered.

---

🛠️ Prerequisites

1. Node.js: Install the latest LTS version from nodejs.org

2. Java Development Kit (JDK): Install JDK 17 or higher.

3. Android Studio: Install it from developer.android.com

4. Expo CLI (optional): npm install -g expo-cli

---

🌀 Initializing the React Native Project

npx react-native init MyAwesomeApp
cd MyAwesomeApp

---

📂 File and Folder Structure (Important)

Ensure you always run commands like npx react-native run-android from the project root folder, not the /android subfolder. Running it from the wrong folder may lead to partial builds or emulator failures.

---

💣 Common Errors & Their Fixes

❌ Error 1: NDK did not have a source.properties file

Cause:

You installed an NDK manually or through Android Studio that’s broken or incomplete.

Solution:

1. Open Android Studio → Appearance & Behavior → System Settings → Android SDK → SDK Tools

2. Select NDK (Side by side) and choose version: 25.2.9519653

3. Delete broken NDK folders, e.g.

    C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\ndk\27.1.12297006
   

Keep only the stable one.

---

❌ Error 2: ./gradlew

.\gradlew clean

Make sure you're inside the /android directory.

---

❌ Error 3: Failed to launch emulator

Cause:

React Native CLI couldn’t auto-launch the emulator.

Solution:

Manually start the emulator:

"C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk\emulator\emulator.exe" @Your_AVD_Name

Then re-run:

npx react-native run-android

---

❌ Error 4: Missing local.properties file

Solution:

Inside /android folder, create a file named local.properties and add:

sdk.dir=C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Android\Sdk

Replace YourUsername with your actual Windows username.

---

🔁 Want a Clean Slate? How to Restart From Scratch

1. Delete your entire React Native project folder:

    rm -rf MyAwesomeApp
   

2. Delete Gradle cache:

    C:\Users\YourUsername\.gradle
   

3. Reinstall:

    npx react-native init MyAwesomeApp
    cd MyAwesomeApp
    npx react-native run-android
   

---