gyp error installing karma - npm

Question

First time asking a question, sorry if I mess it up.
I am trying to install karma, I would prefer a local install but can't get it to install globally or locally. Strangely enough karma and karma-cli seem to install however they won't run no matter what I try.
C:\Users\rdana\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\karma\node_modules\
socket.io\node_modules\socket.io-client\node_modules\engine.io-
client\node_modules\ws\node_modules\bufferutil>
if not defined npm_config_node_gyp
(node "C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm\bin\node-gyp-bin\\..\..\node_modules\node-gyp\bin\node-gyp.js" rebuild )
else (node rebuild )
Building the projects in this solution one at a time.
To enable parallel build, please add the "/m" switch.
C:\Users\rdana\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\karma\
node_modules\socket.io\node_modules\socket.io-
client\node_modules\engine.io-
client\node_modules\ws\node_modules\bufferutil\build\bufferutil.vcxproj(20,3):
error MSB4019: The imported project "C:\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" was
not found. Confirm that the path in the <Import> declaration is correct,and that the file exists on disk.
gyp ERR! build error
gyp ERR! stack Error:
`C:\Program Files (x86)\MSBuild\12.0\bin\msbuild.exe` failed with exit code: 1
gyp ERR! stack at ChildProcess.onExit (C:\Program Files\nodejs\node_modules\npm\node_modules\node-gyp\lib\build.js:270:23)
gyp ERR! stack at emitTwo (events.js:87:13)
gyp ERR! stack at ChildProcess.emit (events.js:172:7)
gyp ERR! stack at Process.ChildProcess._handle.onexit (internal/child_process.js:200:12)
gyp ERR! System Windows_NT 6.1.7601
gyp ERR! command "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node.exe" "C:\\Program Files\\nodejs\\node_modules\\npm
\\\node_modules\\node-gyp\\bin\\node-gyp.js" "rebuild"
gyp ERR! cwd C:\Users\rdana\AppData\Roaming\npm\node_modules\karma\node_modules\socket.io\node_modules\socket.io-client\node_modules\engine.io-client\node_modules\ws\node_modules\bufferutil
gyp ERR! node -v v4.2.2
gyp ERR! node-gyp -v v3.0.3
gyp ERR! not ok
npm WARN optional dep failed, continuing utf-8-validate#1.2.1
npm WARN optional dep failed, continuing bufferutil#1.2.1
I have consulted other posts with this error
npm install -g karma error MSB4019: The imported project "C:\Microsoft.Cpp.Default.props" was not found
I have tried "npm install -g karma --msvs_version=2013"
I have Visual Studio 2012 on my machine, I have Python 2.7.3 as well.I have uninstalled and reinstalled node-gyp. I haven't messed with any of the Windows SDK, then VS SP1, then a VC++ compiler stuff yet because this is a work machine and I don't have local admin rights to download software.
At this point I am kind of stuck. Any help would be appreciated.
As mentioned before,I have also installed the CLI tool for karma. I have added npm/node to my path. Maybe the reason karma won't run is some executable issues I saw in some posts floating around but I figured I would post on here because of the install issues first.
Thanks again in advance!