npm install fails on Win 10, Node v16.7, VS studio 2019

[freeseus]

"npm install" errors out with:

"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\BuildTools\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v160\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets(24
1,5): error MSB8066: Custom build for '..\scripts\install_deps.sh' exited with code 1. [D:\code\node-fontnik\build\acti
on_before_build.vcxproj]"

I have installed Visual Studio 2019 but perhaps there is something missing? FYI: "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2019\BuildTools\MSBuild\Microsoft\VC\v160\Microsoft.CppCommon.targets" this file DOES exist in this directory - so not sure why there is an error.

On Win 10, using Node v16.7.