How to fix WSL installation failed error in Windows?
Jul 09, 2025 am 12:55 AMIf you encounter the problem of WSL installation failure, you can usually solve it by enabling features, updating the system, checking the network, or using offline installation. 1. First, make sure to run wsl --install as an administrator in PowerShell or enable Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux function; 2. Check whether the Windows version is 2004 or above, otherwise upgrade the system; 3. Make sure the network is normal, you can try to switch the network environment, clear the Store cache, or manually download the distribution installation package; 4. Advanced users can use offline mode to download the .tar.gz file through the official website and execute the wsl --import command to import and install.
It is really a headache to encounter an error of "installation failed" when installing WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux). In fact, this problem is usually not a big problem. It is mostly caused by inadequate system settings, network problems or incomplete source files download. Below I will give you some reliable solutions based on common situations.

1. Make sure the WSL feature is enabled
Many people go directly to the store to download the distribution, but the installation failed. The fundamental reason is that the core functionality of WSL has not been opened yet.
You can do this:

- Open PowerShell (Administrator permissions)
- Enter the following command and press Enter:
wsl --install
Or if you just want to enable the features without installing the distribution immediately:
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
Then restart the computer and try to install it.

2. Update the Windows version to the supported range
WSL requires that your Windows be a newer version. If you are using an old system, such as a very early version of Win10 or LTSC version, the installation may fail because the kernel does not support it.
You can check this way:
- Press
Win R
and enterwinver
to enter - Check the current system version number (for example: 21H2, 22H2, 23H2, etc.)
It is recommended to upgrade to Win10 2004 and above, or Win11/Win12 for more security. After updating the system, try installing it.
3. Check whether the network and Microsoft Store are normal
Sometimes you see that the installation fails, which is actually caused by the Microsoft Store download failure. Especially when using proxy, company network restrictions, and firewalls are too strict.
There are several ways to try:
- Switch network environment (such as switching from company network to home broadband)
- Clear the Store cache: Press
Win R
, enterwsreset.exe
and run - Manually download the installation package (for users who cannot install through the store):
- Go to Microsoft's official website to download the corresponding distribution
.appx
files (such as Ubuntu, Debian, etc.) - After decompression, install using PowerShell
- Go to Microsoft's official website to download the corresponding distribution
4. Use offline installation method (recommended advanced users)
If you have problems with your network, or are stuck at the installation step, you can install WSL by manually importing it.
The steps are as follows:
- First download the
.tar.gz
package of your favorite Linux distribution from the official website - Open PowerShell and execute:
wsl --import Ubuntu C:\wsl\ubuntu ubuntu.tar.gz
Here the path and name can be modified according to your needs
- After the installation is completed, use
wsl -l -v
to check whether it is successfully recognized.
This method is suitable for people who don't want to rely on the network or want to customize the installation location.
Basically these common solutions. In many cases, you can do it by simply enabling functions, updating the system, or changing the network. If it is still stuck, it may be that the system components are damaged. You can consider repairing the system files or resetting the WSL.
The above is the detailed content of How to fix WSL installation failed error in Windows?. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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