How to upgrade from WSL 1 to WSL 2 on Windows 10. If you want to upgrade your WSL on Windows 10, there are two possible ways to upgrade your WSL. First one is simple – if you already have WSL installed on your system, you simply have to download the latest WSL 2 Linux kernel from Microsoft website and install it and then run the following command.
Download & Install WSL 2 Linux Kernel
Download WSL 2 Linux kernel from Microsoft website. This download is for Windows 10 64 bit architecture only.
Upgrade to WSL 2
Launch your PowerShell and run the following command to upgrade WSL to WSL 2
wsl --set-version Ubuntu-20.04 2
You might have to change the Ubuntu-20.04 to the version of Ubuntu you have installed on your system.
Check WSL version
To check WSL version on your Windows 10; launch your PowerShell and run the following command
wsl -l -v
![](https://tubemint.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/wsl-version.png)
WSL Does Not Upgrade
In case, your WSL does not upgrade then you need to uninstall your current WSL and reinstall WSL from Microsoft Store again.
![](https://tubemint.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/uninstall-wsl-from-windows-10.png)
Few things to do before you start installing WSL again.
- Install Microsoft Windows 10 updates
- Make sure Hyper-v and Sub-system are enabled
- Make sure you have installed WSL 2 Linux Kernel installed
Install WSL Again and Check Version
After installing WSL again, go ahead and check WSL version with PowerShell
![check wsl version](https://tubemint.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/wsl-version.png)