WSL don't start, don't open and don't answer

[isaporto]

Environment

Windows build number: 20197.1000
WSL 2

Steps to reproduce

Open the Windows terminal

Expected behavior

Should open the Ubuntu terminal but didn't appear even the tab in the Windows terminal.

Actual behavior

The problem is that sometimes, when I open the Windows Terminal the WSL don't appear. Acctually appear once but don't show/load anything, then, when I open again the terminal, it's gone. If I try to run wsl or wsl -l -v or wsl --shutdown, nothing happens, just keep like it's loading the answer forever. If I try to open the Linux folder just keep loading forever. Sometimes I restart the computer and just works but sometimes don't. I tried reinstall all Linux but the error appear again.

[sirredbeard]

Did you install a WSL distro from the Store? Can you run it from the icon on the Start Menu?

I know this isn't a solution for WT but I am trying to determine if it is properly installed.

In PowerShell, what does the following report?

wsl.exe --list --all --verbose

Do you have any third-party security or endpoint management utilities installed on this device?

[isaporto]

I followed this setup https://github.com/lewagon/setup/blob/master/WINDOWS.md
I am able to open the Ubuntu icon from Start Menu and wsl too. When I open, an terminal show up all black and nothing happens. If I try to run any command like wsl.exe or wsl -l -v, etc, nothing happens either, just keeps like it's waiting for an answer

[survivant]

Since Windows [10.0.20201.1000] wsl doesn't work (neither Docker for Windows)

basicaly.. when we enter wsl : nothing happen.. it won't respond.

I try this (also.. lot of reboot)

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

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

wsl --set-default-version 2

wsl.exe --update

wsl --shutdown

wsl -l -v

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl -l -v
NAME STATE VERSION

• Ubuntu-20.04 Stopped 2
  Ubuntu-18.04 Stopped 2
  docker-desktop-data Stopped 2
  Ubuntu Stopped 2

no problem so far... but if I try just to enter wsl... it will stalled

I try wsl -d Ubuntu ... same thing.

[AlexanderC]

Same issue. It worked until the last update arrived KB4571744

[MinnDevelopment]

Same issue. When I try to stop it with sc as an administrator I get this:

C:\WINDOWS\system32>sc query LxssManager

SERVICE_NAME: LxssManager
        TYPE               : 30  WIN32
        STATE              : 3  STOP_PENDING
                                (NOT_STOPPABLE, NOT_PAUSABLE, IGNORES_SHUTDOWN)
        WIN32_EXIT_CODE    : 0  (0x0)
        SERVICE_EXIT_CODE  : 0  (0x0)
        CHECKPOINT         : 0x2
        WAIT_HINT          : 0xea60

C:\WINDOWS\system32>sc stop LxssManager
[SC] ControlService FAILED 1061:

The service cannot accept control messages at this time.

Only way to fix this is a complete reboot.

[pmlange]

I had same issue. Turning off Hyper-V in Windows Features resolved the issue for me, but then I have trouble with Docker Desktop.

[licanhua]

when you hit the issue, can you check the disk usage? I do found that if there is very few free disk space available(eg. 1G), the lxss has slow response or no response.
Another factor is the memory, lxss has very slow response if memory is 1G.
It requires 2G or more for Windows 10. If you run windows 10 in virtual machine, please make sure you allocated 2+G memory.

[survivant]

@licanhua I don't have a issue with free disk space (over 350gigs), no trouble with ram 32gigs. The problem appear only with the build [10.0.20201.1000] (no problem before that update)

[MinnDevelopment]

My C:\ drive has 20GB free and the M:\ drive where I have my Ubuntu distro installed has 80GB free. I have 16GB RAM. And the issue only started recently, 1 or 2 weeks ago.

[licanhua]

How about the %temp% folder? did you see a .vhdx which is created when you start Ubuntu and the size is always 0? For example:
C:\Users\yourlogon\AppData\Local\temp\{161c4a83-cd9d-4e29-92e2-84391fefb692}.vhdx
{161c4a83-cd9d-4e29-92e2-84391fefb692} is a random uuid

[benhillis]

That should be plenty of space. @licanhua I suspect this is not the same issue you have been looking at.

[benhillis]

If it is, disabling swap and trying to launch would confirm:

.wslconfig
[wsl2]
swap=0

[isaporto]

I already ran the @survivant commands and my Hyper-V it's already off. My C: have a lot space yet too
My WSL it's updated and I already set WSL 2. My disk doesn't seem to be used all over but my Windows terminal not even load the Ubuntu option, just print same as @pizzafox

Could not find your default profile in your list of profiles - using the first profile.
Check to make sure the "defaultProfile" matches the GUID of one of your profiles.

[licanhua]

There are two suspicious:

1. missing kernel. please run wsl --update --status to see if there is any error.
2. the swap file. you can create .wslconfig in %userprofile% to verify it. A reboot is required to apply it if your machine is already in weird state.

.wslconfig
[wsl2]
swap=0