Can't enable WSL2

[leo-petrucci]

• Your Windows build number: Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19041.1]

• What you're doing and what's happening:

Enable WSL

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.1

Image Version: 10.0.19041.1

Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

Enable Virtual Machine

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.19041.1

Image Version: 10.0.19041.1

Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

Set default version

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl --set-default-version 2
For information on key differences with WSL 2 please visit https://aka.ms/wsl2

Check WSL version

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl --list --verbose
  NAME            STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu          Stopped         1
  Ubuntu-16.04    Stopped         1

• What's wrong / what should be happening instead: "VERSION" should be set to "2"

WSL 1 is working just fine, I just can't seem to enable WSL2. Any idea what's happening? Is it because I'm trying to enable WSL2 on pre-existing installations of Ubuntu? Should I be starting fresh?

[therealkenc]

You set the default version. That doesn't affect your existing distro installs, which are version 1. You want wsl.exe --set-version Ubuntu-16.04 2. Or, perhaps better if you're just getting started with your disros anyway, delete them. When you install the next time it will be version 2. Because... now you've set the default to 2.

[leo-petrucci]

I tried setting the specific distro, it also didn't work.

[ghost]

I have that problem too. Let's reopen this issue

[therealkenc]

Discussion topic at #6505