Why npm Still Has a Proxy After You Delete It

You delete npm's proxy, query it again, and the value is still there. Before repeating the command with more privileges, check which configuration you deleted.

A project .npmrc, a user file, global configuration, command options, and environment settings can all matter. Removing a value from one place can expose another value underneath it.

Locate the value before changing it

Inspect npm's effective configuration and the files relevant to that invocation. Pay attention to whether the operation is project-local or global. A project setting is not evidence about a global installation.

The proxy option names also matter. A custom key resembling http_proxy is not automatically the documented proxy option. Environment-variable spelling and npm configuration-key spelling are separate interfaces.

Reinstalling the executable is beside the point

Node's installation directory is not necessarily where your user configuration lives. Replacing the executable can leave the user file and process environment intact. That is why a clean program installation can immediately show the old network endpoint.

Once you find the source, remove the obsolete entry at that scope. Then query the effective value again from the same working directory and account that produced the failure. Avoid setting an arbitrary empty or null-looking string unless the installed npm documents that meaning.

Keep the registry setting distinct. A local registry URL can look like a proxy address, but deleting it changes where package metadata is requested. Do not erase a required internal registry merely to remove an unwanted forwarding proxy.