Error installing socket.io on windows, dependency of itself?

I'm trying to used node and socket.io for the first time, and I'm having a little trouble getting off the ground.

Trying to use: npm install --save socket.io results in:

45 error Windows_NT 6.1.7601
46 error argv "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node_modules\\npm\\bin\\npm-cli.js" "install" "--save" "socket.io"
47 error node v6.10.3
48 error npm  v3.10.10
49 error code ENOSELF
50 error Refusing to install socket.io as a dependency of itself

via Patrick Schomburg