WSL 2 Won't Run Ubuntu - Error 0x80370102

Question

Today, I decided to upgrade from WSL 1 to WSL 2. On WSL 1, I had no issues getting both Kali or Ubuntu to function on WSL 1. When upgrading to WSL 2, both Kali and Ubuntu failed to upgrade to version 2. I read that uninstalling and reinstalling them could fix this issue. However, upon reinstalling both of them, my system now fails to detect any installed distro, despite the distro's being installed. Launching both Kali or Ubuntu gives the same error: Error 0x80370102 Screenshot

Installing, this may take a few minutes...
WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x80370102
Error: 0x80370102 The virtual machine could not be started because a required feature is not installed.

When researching this error, and from reading the official WSL 2 install guide from Microsoft, the error always seems to be because the system doesn't have virtualization enabled in the BIOS. This is really confusing as I have checked over 4 different times if I missed any virtualization setting in my BIOS, and have verified it is all enabled. I also have confirmed I have the NX feature enabled as well. Even HWiNFO detects I have virtualization enabled: Screenshot of HWiNFO's results

I have also made sure that the Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Subsystem for Linux and the Windows Hypervisor Platform features are all enabled. Not only this, but I can also create and run any number of VMs from VirtualBox without any errors or issues whatsoever.

Other troubleshooting steps I have gone through was resetting the WSL service, reset my machine (multiple times), update the WSL kernel, verify my Win version is in 19041 or above, and waited 20 minutes after boot to see if I was just being impatient.

Here is some information about my system:

• Running Windows 10 ver 10.0.19041.388 (also known as SDK version 2004)
• Ryzen 3900x CPU
• 32GB DDR4 RAM
• Asus Tuf Gaming X570-Plus Motherboard w/ BIOS ver 1407

Solution 1

FIRST you need to make sure you have enabled CPU virtualization in your BIOS. These instructions will depend on your hardware.

For AMD CPUs, you will look for a feature called: "AMD (AMD Secure Virtual Machine, AMD SVM)"

For Intel CPUs, you will look for a feature called: "Intel (Intel Virtualization Technology, Intel VT-x)"

Here are the instructions for setting SVM on my computer. Note: this is for a MSI motherboard.

0. Go to advanced settings.

1. Go into the overclocking section.

2. Go into the CPU Features section

3. Toggle the CPU feature "SVM Mode" which enables CPU virtualization.

SECOND you are going to have to enable the Hyper-V Windows feature.

Here are my instructions (Note feel free to duckduckgo/google this separately):

1. Search for "Windows Features" in your taskbar.

2. Then look for "Hyper-V". Then enable it.

At this point you should be done and no longer get this error.

Solution 2

I has fix this problem running code below and rebooting system.

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto

Solution 3

It worked for me after I disabled "Virtual Machine Platform" and restart Windows. Then I turned it on again and rebooted Windows again.

This is from the May 2020 release notes:

We are aware of an issue where using the DISM (Deployment Image Servicing and Management) tool to repair corruption on systems running the May 2020 Update does not always report the correct status. This will be fixed in an upcoming servicing release.

It looks like Dism never knows when a feature is really enabled so you need to try several times until it works.

I found the solution on GitHub and some quotes were taken from there https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/4120 it was just difficult for me to find a solution and therefore I am writing here here.

Solution 4

I had the same error and with the virtualization enabled too. After uncheck Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Hypervisor Platform and Virtual Machine Platform, restarting the pc and enable them again the error disapeared and I could install WSL 2.

Solution 5

I had been trying for months to get WSL 2 working. Upgrading my existing "Ubuntu" installation from WSL 1 never worked.

1. Finally, I uninstalled my existing "Ubuntu" (as in not "Ubuntu 20.04") installation, which I'd installed from the Microsoft store.
2. I installed the Ubuntu 20.04 app from the Microsoft store.
3. I confirmed that all 4 of the Hyper-V requirements said Yes.
4. I confirmed that my (ASRock) BIOS had "Intel Virtualization Technology" = Enabled and "No-Execute Memory Protection" = Enabled.
5. In Windows > Control Panel > Programs > "Turn Windows features on or off", I confirmed that I'd already checked (enabled) "Hyper-V" and "Windows Hypervisor Platform" and "Windows Subsystem for Linux".
6. The key for me was to uncheck "Virtual Machine Platform", which I tried because of this answer. Because of that answer, I was planning to re-enable it after restarting (which I'd already tried unsuccessfully months ago), but luckily I felt inspired to try opening the Ubuntu 20.04 app, and it worked! ("Virtual Machine Platform" remains disabled.)
7. UPDATE: Oops, I prematurely declared success. The next problem I had was that I couldn't connect to the internet from within WSL 2 Ubuntu 20.04. So then I did need to re-enable "Virtual Machine Platform". And then more steps were necessary: sudo rm /etc/resolv.conf && sudo bash -c 'echo "nameserver 8.8.8.8" > /etc/resolv.conf' && sudo chattr +i /etc/resolv.conf (from https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/4844#issuecomment-765248581) was hugely helpful (because https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/5336#issuecomment-653881695 didn't quite work, and that file and kept getting overwritten).

Bryan's answer was similar but required uninstalling / unchecking even more.

View more solutions

Comments

[mchko]

Same here. Before that I was on a intel based conf. No pb.to install wsl (1 at that time) Of course you checked in your bios /advanced / cpu / that SVM mode was enabled? I hope someone has the answer.

[Blu]

I checked my BIOS multiple times to verify the setting in on. This is definitely a weird issue. I'm thinking it's possibly a bug WSL 2 has with some AMD CPUs, but I can't find anything to verify that.

[MMT]

I'm on Intel and have the same problem, virtualization is on in BIOS and the sh*t still fails with the error must be a bug with windows, annoyingly I had Ubuntu working but I have uninstalled it as I have had some other issues and now when trying to reinstall I'm hitting this error.

[Blu]

@MMT You did just about the same thing I did! Had Ubuntu working originally, but in my troubleshooting process, I uninstalled Ubuntu so I could reinstall it to see if maybe that would work.

[youngrrrr]

WHAT WORKED FOR ME: I own an HP Z4 G4 Workstation and had to restart my computer and go into the BIOS menu to enable the virtualization on my CPU. I'd try searching "<your computer name> enable virtualization bios" on the web and following those instructions. After a restart and running this command, I was able to get the 'enter a new username/password' prompt

[Herpes Free Engineer]

for me the following was the only solution (executing in PowerShell as admin): wsl --set-default-version 1

[Blu]

I tried your method and it still won't function. There are only 2 options I can see which is the Hyper-V feature, and the Virtual Machine Platform feature. The VMP feature is requires for WSL to function. Altho, weirdly enough, Powershell now tells me I need ot enable virtualization in my BIOS and enable the VMP feature. Both of which are enabled.

[Blu]

I actually already have that setting enabled. Like I said in the post, I already checked to make sure virtualization is enabled in my BIOS, and even had a piece of software triple-check to verify it can detect virtualization is enabled.

[Pizza]

Thank you for your contribution! Please consider editing your answer and explaining a little bit what this solution is, how you implemented it and what users should expect and try when browsing that link.

[WebDevBooster]

If you're wondering how to get "Virtual Machine Platform" disabled (and then enabled again) as described above, go to the control panel and search for "Turn Windows features on or off" and scroll down in the window that opens to "Virtual Machine Platform".

[Anakhand]

This solved it for me. Upvoting as it is nonobvious.

[Blu]

The issue I am having is that all of these steps have already been taken, and I have quadruple checked that each of those settings are enabled. I can run regular VMs through Vbox and VMware no issue. It's only WSL that refuses to work saying I don't have VM features enabled.

[Ryan]

Unfortunately this did not work for me. I still can't run Ubuntu 20.04 on Windows 10.

[Ryan]

Unfortunately this did not work for me. I still can't run Ubuntu 20.04 on Windows 10.

[Ryan]

Welcome to Ask Ubuntu, and thanks for your answer! In the future, an even more helpful answer would mention how you knew about this command (point to the docs where you found it), what the risks of running it are, and how to revert (if possible).

[vallentin]

I didn't have a feature called "Hyper-V", but I had one called "Windows Hypervisor Platform", which mentioned virtualization. I enabled it, and it worked for me.

[Jeremy Belolo]

You're a lifesaver :)

[Metro Smurf]

+1 - disabling and re-enabling w/ reboots did the trick. Not sure if relevant, but I also enabled virtualization in the bios after disabling the "VMP"; and then re-enabling "VMP" / rebooting.

[sainf]

This fixed in PC with Windows 11

[Jeff Atwood]

Thank you! This was exactly what I needed, I did not expect to find the virtualization settings in the "CPU overclocking" section of the BIOS!

[Sarthik Gupta]

This fixed the issue for me in Windows 11. I had all the checkboxes checked for the WSL requirements

[Nathan]

I'm pretty sure this was the case when your answer was posted, but it's definitely true now. WSL no longer runs on Hyper-V, and Hyper-V is not required.

[CasualDemon]

Uncheck "Virtual Machine Platform" did it for me as well after hours of trying to figure it out. Thank you so much!

[Hossein]

Thanks solved my issue, a quick question, in case I want to revert back this change how do you do this?