Node.js Error: Cannot find module express

I wrote my first node.js app, but it can't find express library:

C:\ChatServer\Server>node server.js

module.js:340
    throw err;
          ^
Error: Cannot find module 'express'
    at Function.Module._resolveFilename (module.js:338:15)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:280:25)
    at Module.require (module.js:364:17)
    at require (module.js:380:17)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\ChatServer\Server\server.js:6:9)
    at Object.<anonymous> (C:\ChatServer\Server\server.js:25:4)
    at Module._compile (module.js:456:26)
    at Object.Module._extensions..js (module.js:474:10)
    at Module.load (module.js:356:32)
    at Function.Module._load (module.js:312:12)

But express is intalled (with -g key):

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm install -g express
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/express
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/express
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/connect/2.7.11
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/0.6.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/range-parser/0.0.4
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mkdirp/0.3.4
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.1.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/buffer-crc32/0.2.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/fresh/0.1.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/methods/0.0.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie-signature/1.0.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/debug
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mkdirp/0.3.4
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/range-parser/0.0.4
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.1.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/connect/2.7.11
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/commander/0.6.1
npm WARN package.json range-parser@0.0.4 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/buffer-crc32/0.2.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/fresh/0.1.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/methods/0.0.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.0
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie-signature/1.0.1
npm WARN package.json methods@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json methods@0.0.1 No readme data.
npm WARN package.json fresh@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json send@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json cookie-signature@1.0.1 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/debug
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mime/1.2.6
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/qs/0.6.5
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.1
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/formidable/1.0.14
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.0.5
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/bytes/0.2.0
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/pause/0.0.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mime/1.2.6
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/bytes/0.2.0
npm WARN package.json bytes@0.2.0 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/pause/0.0.1
npm WARN package.json pause@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/formidable/1.0.14
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/qs/0.6.5
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/send/0.1.1
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/cookie/0.0.5
npm http GET https://registry.npmjs.org/mime
npm http 304 https://registry.npmjs.org/mime
C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\express -> C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\express\bin\express
npm WARN package.json policyfile@0.0.4 'repositories' (plural) Not supported.
npm WARN package.json Please pick one as the 'repository' field
npm WARN package.json assert-plus@0.1.2 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json ctype@0.5.2 No repository field.
express@3.2.6 C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\express
├── methods@0.0.1
├── fresh@0.1.0
├── range-parser@0.0.4
├── cookie-signature@1.0.1
├── buffer-crc32@0.2.1
├── cookie@0.1.0
├── debug@0.7.2
├── commander@0.6.1
├── mkdirp@0.3.4
├── send@0.1.0 (mime@1.2.6)
└── connect@2.7.11 (pause@0.0.1, qs@0.6.5, bytes@0.2.0, cookie@0.0.5, formidable@1.0.14, send@0.1.1)

Some information:

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm --version
1.2.24

C:\ChatServer\Server>node --version
v0.10.9

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm --version
1.2.24

C:\ChatServer\Server>npm ls -g installed express
npm WARN package.json cookie-signature@1.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json fresh@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json methods@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json range-parser@0.0.4 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json send@0.1.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json policyfile@0.0.4 'repositories' (plural) Not supported.
npm WARN package.json Please pick one as the 'repository' field
npm WARN package.json bytes@0.2.0 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json pause@0.0.1 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json assert-plus@0.1.2 No repository field.
npm WARN package.json ctype@0.5.2 No repository field.
C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm
└── express@3.2.6


C:\ChatServer\Server>npm ls installed express
C:\ChatServer\Server
└── (empty)

How can I solve this problem? (MUST I install it without -g?)

You need to install Express locally into the context of your application (node_modules folder):

$ npm install express

The reason for this is that applications always look in their local context for any dependencies. The global installation is only for setting up system-wide available binaries, such as unit test runners or bootstrappers or things like that.

With Express, when you install it globally, you get an express binary that can bootstrap an application for you. For more information, type

$ express --help

So, to answer your final question: YES, you need to install it without -g.

Golo have explain well the solution, but I might add a clarification:
sometimes node modules is installed in 

/usr/local/lib/node_modules

and when you launch node blabla.js modules are searched in 

/lib

So a solution is to create a symbolic link:

sudo ln -s /usr/local/lib/node_modules/ /lib/node_modules

In your case your express module is installed at C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\express, but you need to get this module in to your project directory. So you should copy the file the express module folders from C:\Users\Dmitry\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\ to your project directory as : C:\ChatServer\Server\node_modules. If you do not have a folder named 'node_modules' in your project folder, then create it first and paste those files into this folder. This method worked for me on my windows pc. Restart your node server and once again run the command node C:\ChatServer\Server>node server.js. It should work now !!!!

Check if you are not install express module, use this command:

 npm install express

and if your node_modules directory is in another place, set NODE_PATH envirnment variable:

 set NODE_PATH=your\directory\to\node_modules;%NODE_PATH%

create one folder in your harddisk e.g sample1 and go to command prompt type :cd and gives the path of sample1 folder and then install all modules...

npm install express

npm install jade

npm install socket.io

and then whatever you are creating application save in sample1 folder

try it...

For me it worked when installed express locally with --save option as follow:

$ npm install express --save