username = os.environ.get('USERNAME') base_path = Path(f'C:/Users/username/AppData/Local/Packages')
distros = [] for line in lines: if line.strip(): parts = line.split() if len(parts) >= 3: distros.append( 'name': parts[0], 'state': parts[1], 'version': parts[2] ) return distros def get_vhdx_path(distribution): """Get VHDX file path for a WSL2 distribution""" package_patterns = 'ubuntu': 'CanonicalGroupLimited.Ubuntu', 'debian': 'TheDebianProject.DebianGNULinux', 'kali': 'KaliLinux',
# Get WSL distribution list wsl -l -v (Get-AppxPackage -Name " Ubuntu ").InstallLocation Navigate to WSL Linux filesystem from Windows \wsl.localhost[DistributionName]\ Example: \wsl.localhost\Ubuntu\home\username where are wsl files stored in windows
if not base_path.exists(): return None
for package_dir in base_path.iterdir(): if package_dir.is_dir(): distro_name = distribution.lower() if distro_name in package_dir.name.lower(): vhdx = package_dir / 'LocalState' / 'ext4.vhdx' if vhdx.exists(): return vhdx return None distros = get_wsl_distributions() for distro in distros: if distro['version'] == '2': vhdx = get_vhdx_path(distro['name']) if vhdx: print(f"distro['name']: vhdx") PowerShell Function function Get-WSLStorageLocation Select-Object -First 1 username = os
Always use \\wsl$\ path or WSL commands to interact with Linux files. Direct Windows file manipulation can corrupt your WSL installation!
find_wsl_storage "Ubuntu" # Export distribution wsl --export Ubuntu D:\backups\ubuntu.tar Import to new location wsl --import Ubuntu D:\WSL\Ubuntu D:\backups\ubuntu.tar --version 2 Remove old distribution wsl --unregister Ubuntu Quick Reference Card | Action | Command/Path | |--------|--------------| | Access Linux files from Windows | \\wsl$\Ubuntu\ | | Find VHDX location (WSL2) | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\*\LocalState\ext4.vhdx | | Find rootfs location (WSL1) | %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\*\LocalState\rootfs\ | | List distributions | wsl -l -v | | Open WSL home in Explorer | explorer.exe \\wsl$\Ubuntu\home | = 3: distros.append( 'name': parts[0]
Write-Host "WSL distribution '$DistributionName' not found or is WSL1" -ForegroundColor Red return $null Get-WSLStorageLocation "Ubuntu" Bash Script to Find WSL Files #!/bin/bash Find WSL distribution storage from Linux side find_wsl_storage() head -1) if [ -n "$package_dir" ]; then local vhdx_path="$package_dir/LocalState/ext4.vhdx" if [ -f "$vhdx_path" ]; then echo "Found VHDX: $vhdx_path" ls -lh "$vhdx_path" else echo "WSL1 distribution detected (no VHDX file)" echo "Rootfs location: $package_dir/LocalState/rootfs/" fi else echo "Distribution not found" fi else echo "Cannot access Windows path from Linux" echo "Try running from Windows PowerShell instead" fi
