fix(env): use hard links instead of symlinks on Windows

close #4315

.changeset/late-laws-approve.md

@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+---
+"@pnpm/plugin-commands-env": patch
+"pnpm": patch
+---
+
+Use hard links to link the node executable on Windows machines [#4315](https://github.com/pnpm/pnpm/issues/4315).

env/plugin-commands-env/package.json

@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
     "@pnpm/store-path": "workspace:*",
     "@zkochan/cmd-shim": "^6.0.0",
     "@zkochan/rimraf": "^2.1.2",
+    "is-windows": "^1.0.2",
     "load-json-file": "^6.2.0",
     "render-help": "^1.0.3",
     "semver": "^7.4.0",
@@ -51,6 +52,7 @@
     "@pnpm/plugin-commands-env": "workspace:*",
     "@pnpm/prepare": "workspace:*",
     "@types/adm-zip": "^0.5.0",
+    "@types/is-windows": "^1.0.0",
     "@types/semver": "7.3.13",
     "adm-zip": "^0.5.10",
     "execa": "npm:safe-execa@0.1.2",

env/plugin-commands-env/src/envUse.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import { PnpmError } from '@pnpm/error'
 import { createFetchFromRegistry } from '@pnpm/fetch'
 import { resolveNodeVersion } from '@pnpm/node.resolver'
 import cmdShim from '@zkochan/cmd-shim'
+import isWindows from 'is-windows'
 import { getNodeDir, type NvmNodeCommandOptions } from './node'
 import { getNodeMirror } from './getNodeMirror'
 import { parseNodeEditionSpecifier } from './parseNodeEditionSpecifier'
@@ -30,7 +31,7 @@ export async function envUse (opts: NvmNodeCommandOptions, params: string[]) {
   try {
     await fs.unlink(dest)
   } catch (err) {}
-  await fs.symlink(src, dest, 'file')
+  await symlinkOrHardLink(src, dest)
   try {
     let npmDir = nodeDir
     if (process.platform !== 'win32') {
@@ -52,3 +53,12 @@ export async function envUse (opts: NvmNodeCommandOptions, params: string[]) {
   return `Node.js ${nodeVersion as string} is activated
 ${dest} -> ${src}`
 }
+
+// On Windows, symlinks only work with developer mode enabled
+// or with admin permissions. So it is better to use hard links on Windows.
+async function symlinkOrHardLink (existingPath: string, newPath: string) {
+  if (isWindows()) {
+    return fs.link(existingPath, newPath)
+  }
+  return fs.symlink(existingPath, newPath, 'file')
+}