How to fix WslRegistrationDistribution failed error on Windows 10

Windows 10 supports Linux. This is one of the most loved features of the OS. Originally, it only supported Ubuntu but since then, it has added support for other distributions either officially or unofficially. Ubuntu can be installed easily enough from the Microsoft Store however, if you’ve installed the app and are getting the ‘WslRegistrationDistribution failed’ error when you run it, it means you’ve missed one step to setting it up. The second line of the error tells you exactly what that is.

‘The Windows Subsystem for Linux’  optional component needs to be enabled.

Fix ‘WslRegistrationDistribution failed’ error

Installing Ubuntu on Windows 10 is really easy but you still need to check a few boxes. Specifically, you need to enable Windows Subsystem for Linux before the Ubuntu app will install correctly. If you’ve forgotten to do that, you will get the ‘WslRegistrationDistribution failed’ error.

To fix it, open Control Panel and select Programs. Select the Turn Windows features on or off option. In the Windows Features window, scroll to the end and select ‘Windows Subsystem for Linux’, and click OK. You will need to restart your system.

Once you’ve booted back to your desktop, run the Ubuntu app again and this time, it will begin installation.

You may run into other errors while installing Ubuntu but so far as this particular error is concerned, enabling the Windows subsystem for Linux ought to fix it. It is important that you restart your system after enabling it. Neglecting to do so will not fix the error.

If you plan on using any of the supported Linux distributions on Windows 10, you will need to have WSL enabled. This isn’t optional. It is basically what allows you to run the Linux distributions on Windows 10.

In the event this doesn’t fix the problem, or you continue to have problems installing Ubuntu, delete the app that you downloaded from the Microsoft Store and then install it again. This fix isn’t just for Ubuntu. If you’re installing a different distribution, you still need to have WSL enabled.

We mentioned earlier that the Linux distributions that you can run on Windows 10 include both official and unofficial releases. The unofficial releases are ones that have not been released by either Microsoft or the developers of the distribution. They may not work as well as official releases and some bugs may not be fixable. Some of them work fine but that may not always hold true for all distributions. If you are running an unofficial distribution, and are having trouble with it, check to see if there are any other requirements that need to be met in order to set it up.