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 2You 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
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.
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