How to Restart WSL on Windows 11

Restarting the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) fixes a lot of problems: a frozen terminal, networking that stopped working, a distro using too much memory, or settings that won’t take effect. You don’t need to restart Windows to do it. A single command stops WSL completely, and the next time you open your Linux terminal, it starts fresh. This guide shows how to restart all of WSL or just one distribution, and when a full reset makes more sense.

Quick answer

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run wsl --shutdown. Then open your Linux distribution again, or run wsl, to start it back up.

Method 1: Shut down all of WSL

1. Right-click Start and open Terminal (or PowerShell).
2. Run wsl --shutdown.
3. Wait a few seconds for everything to stop.
4. Open your distro from the Start menu or run wsl to start it again.

This stops every running distribution and the lightweight virtual machine that WSL 2 uses. Any unsaved work in Linux terminals is lost, so save first and close running programs cleanly.

Method 2: Restart one distribution

If you only want to restart one distro and leave others running:

1. List your distributions and their state with wsl --list --verbose (or wsl -l -v).
2. Stop the one you want with wsl --terminate Ubuntu, replacing Ubuntu with the name shown in the list.
3. Start it again by opening it or running wsl -d Ubuntu.

Why sudo reboot doesn’t work the same way

Running sudo reboot inside a distro doesn’t restart Windows or the WSL virtual machine the way it would on a real Linux computer. Depending on your setup, it may do nothing or only restart services inside the distro. Use the wsl commands from Windows instead.

When you need to restart WSL

• After changing .wslconfig: Settings like memory and processor limits in %UserProfile%\.wslconfig only apply after wsl --shutdown.
• After editing /etc/wsl.conf: Changes inside a distro, such as turning on systemd or changing the default user, apply after that distro restarts.
• Networking problems: If the internet or DNS stops working in Linux, a restart often fixes it.
• High memory use: WSL 2 can hold on to memory. Shutting it down returns that memory to Windows.
• Frozen terminal: If a distro stops responding, terminate it and start again.

WSL 1 vs. WSL 2

The VERSION column in wsl -l -v shows whether each distro runs on WSL 1 or WSL 2. WSL 2 runs inside a lightweight virtual machine, so wsl --shutdown stops that whole VM and frees its memory. WSL 1 doesn’t use a VM, so restarting is quicker and mainly ends the Linux processes. The same commands work for both.

If you use Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop’s WSL 2 backend runs its own distributions. Shutting down WSL also stops Docker’s engine, so quit Docker Desktop first or restart it afterward from its tray icon. Containers that were running will need to be started again.

Restart the WSL service

If wsl --shutdown hangs or WSL won’t start, restart the background service. Open Services (search for it in the Start menu), find the Windows Subsystem for Linux service, right-click it, and choose Restart. If that doesn’t help, restart Windows.

Update WSL

Many bugs that seem to require frequent restarts are fixed in newer versions. Run wsl --update in PowerShell, then wsl --shutdown to load the new version. Check your version with wsl --version.

Reset a distribution completely

A restart keeps all your files and installed packages. If a distro is badly broken, you can reset it to a fresh state:

• From Settings: Go to Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find the distro, open Advanced options, and click Reset if available.
• From the command line: wsl --unregister Ubuntu deletes the distro and all its data. You can then install it again.

Both options erase everything inside the distro, so back up your home folder first, for example by copying it to a Windows folder through /mnt/c.

New to WSL? See how to use WSL on Windows 11 and how to install WSL on Windows 11.

Related: How to uninstall WSL in Windows 10.

If WSL will not start at all after a restart, the cause may be firmware virtualization, which turning on virtualization in Windows 11 walks through.

Frequently asked questions

Does wsl –shutdown delete my files?

No. It only stops WSL. Your files and installed software are still there when you start again.

How do I know if WSL is running?

Run wsl -l -v. Each distribution shows Running or Stopped.

Can I set WSL to stop automatically?

WSL stops on its own a short time after you close all Linux windows and processes. Long-running background services can keep it awake.