title: npm start errors with ERR! code ENOENT, syscall open
body: <p>I'm suddently having a problem with "npm start" in my React application. When I trigger it, this is what I receive:</p>
  
  <pre><code>npm ERR! code ENOENT
  npm ERR! syscall open
  npm ERR! path /mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json
  npm ERR! errno -2
  npm ERR! enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json'
  npm ERR! enoent This is related to npm not being able to find a file.
  npm ERR! enoent
  
  npm ERR! A complete log of this run can be found in:
  npm ERR!     /home/palnic/.npm/_logs/2020-02-20T11_30_39_463Z-debug.log
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>This is the debug.log:</p>
  
  <pre><code>0 info it worked if it ends with ok
  1 verbose cli [ '/usr/bin/node', '/usr/bin/npm', 'start' ]
  2 info using npm@6.13.7
  3 info using node@v12.13.1
  4 verbose stack Error: ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json'
  5 verbose cwd /mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json
  6 verbose Linux 4.4.0-18362-Microsoft
  7 verbose argv "/usr/bin/node" "/usr/bin/npm" "start"
  8 verbose node v12.13.1
  9 verbose npm  v6.13.7
  10 error code ENOENT
  11 error syscall open
  12 error path /mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json
  13 error errno -2
  14 error enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json'
  15 error enoent This is related to npm not being able to find a file.
  16 verbose exit [ -2, true ]
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>I tried the following solution: </p>
  
  <pre><code>sudo npm install -g npm     //(ok!)
  sudo npm cache clean   //(not working if not using --force flag)
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>And then <code>npm install</code> returns:</p>
  
  <pre><code>npm WARN saveError ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json'
  npm WARN enoent ENOENT: no such file or directory, open '/mnt/c/Users/pal/Desktop/dev/myApp/package.json'
  npm WARN myApp No description
  npm WARN myApp No repository field.
  npm WARN myApp No README data
  npm WARN myApp No license field.
  
  up to date in 0.454s
  found 0 vulnerabilities
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>My npm version is: <strong>6.13.7</strong></p>
  
  <p>This is my package.json </p>
  
  <pre><code>{
    "name": "myApp",
    "version": "0.1.0",
    "private": true,
    "dependencies": {
      "@testing-library/jest-dom": "^4.2.4",
      "@testing-library/react": "^9.4.0",
      "@testing-library/user-event": "^7.2.1",
      "firebase": "^7.7.0",
      "node-sass": "^4.13.1",
      "react": "^16.12.0",
      "react-dom": "^16.12.0",
      "react-redux": "^7.1.3",
      "react-router-dom": "^5.1.2",
      "react-scripts": "3.3.0",
      "react-stripe-checkout": "^2.6.3",
      "redux": "^4.0.5",
      "redux-logger": "^3.0.6",
      "redux-persist": "^6.0.0",
      "redux-saga": "^1.1.3",
      "redux-thunk": "^2.3.0",
      "reselect": "^4.0.0",
      "styled-components": "^5.0.0"
    },
    "scripts": {
      "start": "react-scripts start",
      "build": "react-scripts build",
      "test": "react-scripts test",
      "eject": "react-scripts eject"
    },
    "eslintConfig": {
      "extends": "react-app"
    },
    "browserslist": {
      "production": [
        "&gt;0.2%",
        "not dead",
        "not op_mini all"
      ],
      "development": [
        "last 1 chrome version",
        "last 1 firefox version",
        "last 1 safari version"
      ]
    }
  }
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>ADo you have any ideas on the possible causes and the possible solutions?</p>