: C:\Windows\System32\lxss\ (may be removed by the feature uninstall, but check)
Click and Restart your computer when prompted to finalize the removal. 4. Advanced Cleanup: Removing Residual Files
However, uninstalling WSL isn't as simple as dragging an app to the recycle bin. To do it correctly—and reclaim all your disk space—you must follow a specific order of operations. This guide will walk you through uninstalling specific Linux distributions, removing the WSL components, and cleaning up residual system files. uninstall wsl
: If you installed your Linux flavor via the Store, look for it in this same list (e.g., "Ubuntu 22.04") and uninstall it here as well. 3. Disable WSL Windows Features
When prompted, press to restart your computer. Restarting is essential for the changes to take full effect. : C:\Windows\System32\lxss\ (may be removed by the feature
To completely uninstall the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and its associated distributions, you should follow a multi-step process that includes unregistering distributions, removing the WSL app, and disabling core Windows features. 1. Unregister and Remove Linux Distributions Before removing the subsystem itself, you must delete the individual Linux instances (like Ubuntu or Debian). List installed distros
This forcefully shuts down the WSL 2 lightweight VM and all related processes. To do it correctly—and reclaim all your disk
: Open PowerShell as an administrator and run wsl --list --verbose to see installed distros. Then, run wsl --unregister (e.g., wsl --unregister Ubuntu ) to permanently delete the distribution and its data.
wsl --install
(Optional) If you are not using other virtualization tools (like Docker or BlueStacks), you can also uncheck .
: Open File Explorer and navigate to %LOCALAPPDATA% . Look for a folder named Packages and see if any folders starting with CanonicalGroupLimited (for Ubuntu) or similar distro names remain.