Unable to install Strapi - Cannot find module '../build/Release/sharp.node' - strapi

Question

I'm unable to install strapi. When I run the quickstart, it gives an error about not being able to find "sharp".
I tried downgrading node - from 16.x.x to 14.18.1, and I get fewer warnings, but still threw the same error.
OS: Windows
Node: 14.18.1
NPM: 6.14.15
❯ npx create-strapi-app jeffsdata-cms --quickstart  401ms  user  
npx: installed 146 in 13.315s
Creating a quickstart project.
Creating a new Strapi application at C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms.
Creating files.
Dependencies installed successfully.
Your application was created at C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms.
Available commands in your project:
npm run develop
Start Strapi in watch mode.
npm run start
Start Strapi without watch mode.
npm run build
Build Strapi admin panel.
npm run strapi
Display all available commands.
You can start by doing:
cd C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms
npm run develop
> jeffsdata-cms#0.1.0 build
> strapi build "--no-optimization"
Building your admin UI with development configuration ...
√ Webpack
Compiled successfully in 34.99s
Running your Strapi application.
> jeffsdata-cms#0.1.0 develop
> strapi develop
[2021-11-26T15:48:12.185Z] debug ⛔️ Server wasn't able to start properly.
[2021-11-26T15:48:12.186Z] error Error:
Something went wrong installing the "sharp" module
Cannot find module '../build/Release/sharp.node'
Require stack:
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\sharp\lib\constructor.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\sharp\lib\index.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi-plugin-upload\services\image-manipulation.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi\lib\load\load-files.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi\lib\core\load-apis.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi\lib\core\load-modules.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi\lib\Strapi.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi\lib\index.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi\lib\commands\develop.js
- C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\strapi\bin\strapi.js
- Remove the "node_modules/sharp" directory then run
"npm install --ignore-scripts=false --verbose sharp" and look for errors
- Consult the installation documentation at https://sharp.pixelplumbing.com/install
- Search for this error at https://github.com/lovell/sharp/issues
at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\sharp\lib\constructor.js:32:9)
at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1085:14)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1114:10)
at Module.load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:950:32)
at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:790:12)
at Module.require (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:974:19)
at require (internal/modules/cjs/helpers.js:93:18)
at Object.<anonymous> (C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\node_modules\sharp\lib\index.js:3:15)
at Module._compile (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1085:14)
at Object.Module._extensions..js (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:1114:10)
I tried to delete the sharp folder and reinstall while on node 16, but that didn't fix this issue.
I tried to reinstall sharp on 14.18.1, but got a different error.
Downgrade node to 14.18.1 (windows: control panel, remove node, then download 14.18.1 (or whatever the most recent one, if it upgrades) from here).
Run the quickstart command npx create-strapi-app jeffsdata-cms --quickstart
Still throws the error complaining about sharp.
Delete the npm_modules/sharp folder
Reinstall sharp with npm install --ignore-scripts=false --verbose sharp.
Confirm it's working with node run develop.
This didn't fix the issue for me - now it just throws another error:
❯ node run develop  1m 34.989s  user  
internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:905
throw err;
^
Error: Cannot find module 'C:\Users\user\source\repos\jeffsdata-strapi\jeffsdata-cms\run'
at Function.Module._resolveFilename (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:902:15)
at Function.Module._load (internal/modules/cjs/loader.js:746:27)
at Function.executeUserEntryPoint [as runMain] (internal/modules/run_main.js:76:12)
at internal/main/run_main_module.js:17:47 {
code: 'MODULE_NOT_FOUND',
requireStack: []
}
I next tried to roll back to Node 16 and use the beta...
Uninstall Node 14
Install Node 16
Install strapi beta - npm install strapi#beta -g
Create new project: strapi new jeffsdata-cms --quickstart
Now I get this error...
❯ strapi develop
 4.469s  user  
[2021-11-26T16:58:19.646Z] error The client `sqlite3` is not installed.
[2021-11-26T16:58:19.647Z] error You can install it with `$ npm install sqlite3 --save`.
So, I obviously install sqlite3 - npm install sqlite3 --save, but it doesn't change the error.
So, I try running strapi build, then strapi develop... Same error - "The client sqlite3 is not installed."