How to Uninstall Ubuntu from WSL A Step-by-Step Guide

Using the Start menu is one of the easiest ways to uninstall Ubuntu from WSL. Follow the steps below:

1. Search Ubuntu in the Start menu.

2. Click on Uninstall in the right pane.

   

3. This should uninstall Ubuntu WSL and its related information from the WSL.

Check for Remaining WSL Distributions

1. Open terminal and check the list of WSL distributions

   wsl -list
   

   

2. Sometimes the uninstall doesn’t work as expected.

   For example, you might have uninstalled WSL Ubuntu-20.04, but it still shows up in the terminal:

   C:\Users\sabbirz>wsl -l
   Windows Subsystem for Linux Distributions:
   Ubuntu-22.04 (Default)
   Ubuntu-20.04
   

   

3. If this happens, try unregistering the distro with the following command

   C:\Users\sabbirz>wsl --unregister Ubuntu-20.04
   Unregistering.
   The operation completed successfully.
   

4. Check if the distro is successfully unregistered

   C:\Users\sabbirz>wsl -l
   Windows Subsystem for Linux Distributions:
   Ubuntu-22.04 (Default)
   

Additional Troubleshooting

• Common Errors and Fixes:

  • If you encounter an error stating that the distribution is still in use, make sure all instances of the distribution are closed. You can use wsl --terminate <DistroName> to forcefully terminate any running instances.

• Reinstalling WSL:

  • If problems persist, consider reinstalling WSL or resetting it to defaults. This can be done via the Windows Features dialog or PowerShell.