Move WSL

PowerShell script to move WSL 1 and WSL 2 distros VHDX file to a different location.

Features (v1.4.0)

• ✅ Supports both WSL 1 and WSL 2
• ✅ Interactive and CLI modes
• ✅ Automatic WSL shutdown to prevent file locks
• ✅ Preserves default distro setting
• ✅ Pre-checks for NTFS compression (prevents corruption)
• ✅ Colored output with progress feedback

Usage

Interactive Mode

./move-wsl.ps1

1. Select your distro from the list
2. Enter your target path (e.g., D:\wsl\ubuntu)
3. Confirm the operation

CLI Mode (Non-Interactive)

# Basic usage
./move-wsl.ps1 -Distro "Ubuntu" -Target "D:\wsl\ubuntu"

# Force mode (skip confirmations)
./move-wsl.ps1 -Distro "Ubuntu" -Target "D:\wsl\ubuntu" -Force

# Skip WSL shutdown (not recommended)
./move-wsl.ps1 -Distro "Ubuntu" -Target "D:\wsl\ubuntu" -NoShutdown

Parameters

Parameter	Description
-Distro	Name of the WSL distro to move
-Target	Destination folder path
-Force	Skip confirmation prompts and NTFS compression warning
-NoShutdown	Skip automatic WSL shutdown (not recommended)

⚠️ Important Notes

Warning

This script uses official wsl commands and was used by many people. Make sure you have a backup of your data before proceeding.

Before Running

1. Backup important data in your WSL distro
2. Close all applications using WSL
3. Stop Docker Desktop if moving Docker WSL distros

NTFS Compression Warning

The script will check if the target folder has NTFS compression enabled. Compressed folders can corrupt WSL images. If detected, disable compression:

1. Right-click the target folder
2. Properties → Advanced
3. Uncheck "Compress contents to save disk space"

FAQ

Default user was switched to root when moving a distro

Set your default user inside your distro by adding the following configuration to your /etc/wsl.conf:

[user]
default=YOUR_USERNAME

If the file doesn't exist, create it manually. Then exit your distro, terminate it (wsl -t YOUR_DISTRO) and start it again.

Some distributions also allow setting the default user via command line:

ubuntu config --default-user johndoe

Standard distro switched when moving it

The script now automatically preserves the default distro setting (v1.4.0+). If using an older version:

wsl -s YOUR_DISTRO

Script cannot be loaded (not digitally signed)

Run this command to allow the script:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
./move-wsl.ps1

WSL version was switched when moving distro

On import, the distro will be registered with its original WSL version. If it changed:

wsl --set-version <Distro> <Version>

Moving Docker WSL

Before moving Docker WSL, make sure to:

1. Stop Docker Desktop completely
2. Wait a few seconds for processes to terminate
3. Run the script

License

This project is licensed under the GPL-3.0 License - see the LICENSE file for details.