WSL failed to start after update Windows

[merkuriy]

• Windows build number:
  Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.113]

• What you're doing and what's happening:
  Run:
  PS C:\> wsl -d ubuntu-19-04-server
  Freezes in an attempt to launch and nothing happens.

• What's wrong / what should be happening instead:
  Distro should launched and worked.

• Detailed logs
  lxcore__.etl.zip

[merkuriy]

Tried to enable and disable optional components Windows for WSL:

• Disable

dism.exe /online /disable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /norestart
dism.exe /online /disable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /norestart

• Restart machine

• Enable

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

• Restart machine

• List WSL Distros:

PS C:\>  wsl -l --all

Распределения подсистемы Windows для Linux:
ubuntu-19-04-server (по умолчанию)

• Run Distro:

PS C:\> wsl -d ubuntu-19-04-server

Similar. Freezes in an attempt to launch and nothing happens.

[darkmacheken]

Hello, I have the exact same problem with the same Windows version (Version 10.0.19041.113)
I'd like to add that after some time (about 15 to 25 minutes) it shows the message:

The operation could not be started because a required feature is not installed.
[process exited with code 4294967295]

This happened after an update 10 2004 (20H1) KB4540409 (Comulative update for Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64 based systems)

EDIT: I guess it was some configurations of Hyper-V that changed with the update. Following this post https://www.surfacetablethelp.com/2018/10/fix-hyper-v-not-working-after-windows-10-v1809-upgraded.html fixed my problem.

[merkuriy]

Thanks, @pedrodaniel10 ! The solution you found helped me too.

[davidwudv]

Hello, I have the exact same problem with the same Windows version (Version 10.0.19041.113)
I'd like to add that after some time (about 15 to 25 minutes) it shows the message:

The operation could not be started because a required feature is not installed.
[process exited with code 4294967295]

This happened after an update 10 2004 (20H1) KB4540409 (Comulative update for Windows 10 Version 2004 for x64 based systems)

EDIT: I guess it was some configurations of Hyper-V that changed with the update. Following this post https://www.surfacetablethelp.com/2018/10/fix-hyper-v-not-working-after-windows-10-v1809-upgraded.html fixed my problem.

Thank you! I fixed my problem.

[ThomasMConnors]

This did not work for me but it's a bit different,

WSL starts fine and MS Store Unbuntu 18.04.4 LTS runs fine. Yet Ubuntu 20.04 returns:

The system cannot find the file specified.
[process exited with code 4294967295]

[onomatopellan]

@ThomasMConnors what does wsl.exe -l -v show?

[ThomasMConnors]

It shows C:\temp>wsl.exe -l --all Windows Subsystem for Linux Distributions: Ubuntu (Default) Ubuntu-20.04 (There was no -v option for wsl)

[onomatopellan]

@ThomasMConnors Thanks. Then it seems you are still in WSL1 and this thread's issue is more about WSL2 and hyper-v.
In WSL1 that message could mean the Ubuntu 20.04 app is not installed in C:
See https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10#troubleshooting

[VishnuSuresh2000]

After windows 10 2004 update wsl is not working the commands also not working

[leizhilong]

After windows 10 2004 update wsl is not working the commands also not working

Same here, no matter which distro I chose to start on Windows 10 2004, I got a
[process exited with code 4294967295]

PS C:\Users\username> wsl -l -v
  NAME            STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu-20.04    Stopped         2
  Ubuntu          Stopped         2
  Ubuntu-18.04    Stopped         2

Tried steps in https://www.surfacetablethelp.com/2018/10/fix-hyper-v-not-working-after-windows-10-v1809-upgraded.html, but nothing happened.

[onomatopellan]

@leizhilong Try this #4929 (comment)

[leizhilong]

@leizhilong Try this #4929 (comment)

Thanks @onomatopellan for the clue.
I tried the method metioned in the comment. Unluckily, my attempt to remove the Hyper-V virtual eth adapter end up with the same 4294967295 error code. I guess errors with 0xffffffff and 4294967295 might be due to differenet causes.

When I use wsl -d Ubuntu to run WSL after deleting virtual adapter and reboot, the Hyper-V virtual eth adapter would appear again but WSL still dosen't work.

Thanks anyway.

[leizhilong]

netsh winsock reset saved my day.

see:
#5092 (comment)

[VishnuSuresh2000]

After windows 10 2004 update wsl is not working the commands also not working

Same here, no matter which distro I chose to start on Windows 10 2004, I got a
[process exited with code 4294967295]

PS C:\Users\username> wsl -l -v
  NAME            STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu-20.04    Stopped         2
  Ubuntu          Stopped         2
  Ubuntu-18.04    Stopped         2

Tried steps in https://www.surfacetablethelp.com/2018/10/fix-hyper-v-not-working-after-windows-10-v1809-upgraded.html, but nothing happened.

This problem was solved by reinstalling windows features

Hyper-V,
Windows subsystem from Linux,
Virtual machine platform

[jkugiya]

I was able to resolve the problem with the following steps.

1. Make the above security settings changes.
2. Update WSL2 kernel

[DanOlivier]

I don't know if it was disabling and re-enabling the features (Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux, and VirtualMachinePlatform, then rebooting), or running netsh winsock reset and rebooting, which saved me.

[forecho]

#4904 (comment)

[johnymachine]

netsh winsock reset saved my day.

see:
#5092 (comment)

Yes it works!

[jlfsdtc]

After windows 10 2004 update wsl is not working the commands also not working

Same here, no matter which distro I chose to start on Windows 10 2004, I got a
[process exited with code 4294967295]

PS C:\Users\username> wsl -l -v
  NAME            STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu-20.04    Stopped         2
  Ubuntu          Stopped         2
  Ubuntu-18.04    Stopped         2

Tried steps in https://www.surfacetablethelp.com/2018/10/fix-hyper-v-not-working-after-windows-10-v1809-upgraded.html, but nothing happened.

This problem was solved by reinstalling windows features

Hyper-V,
Windows subsystem from Linux,
Virtual machine platform

Yes,Maybe Hyper-V has error

[frankaddelia]

I've spent multiple hours on this problem on a few different occasions and I don't remember the same solution working twice. This usually seems to happen after a Windows Insider update (verified the build version was higher than the minimum), but I had it happen for no reason that I could determine yesterday. After spending almost four hours trying to fix this problem for the third time, the thing that just worked for me was running through the installation steps without uninstalling first WSL or Ubuntu: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10. This could have worked because it might have applied an update that I wasn't getting, but I have no idea which step fixed if it that's not what happened =\ This is not a technically good answer, but I hope it helps someone else who's reached the end of their patience and felt like they've tried everything too. Note: the other fixes that worked for me before were in this thread, like resetting netsh and fixing Hyper-V.

[xuzh0u]

Tried to enable and disable optional components Windows for WSL:

• Disable

dism.exe /online /disable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /norestart
dism.exe /online /disable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /norestart

• Restart machine
• Enable

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

• Restart machine
• List WSL Distros:

PS C:\>  wsl -l --all

Распределения подсистемы Windows для Linux:
ubuntu-19-04-server (по умолчанию)

• Run Distro:

PS C:\> wsl -d ubuntu-19-04-server

Similar. Freezes in an attempt to launch and nothing happens.

I faced the same problem on my machine's Ubuntu-20.04 distro (WSL2) after compacting its ext4.vhdx file.

I've tried netsh winsock reset but failed. Yet your solution works for me. Thank you very much.

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This issue has been automatically closed since it has not had any activity for the past year. If you're still experiencing this issue please re-file this as a new issue or feature request.

Thank you!