{"id":139083,"date":"2025-07-25T06:15:20","date_gmt":"2025-07-25T10:15:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/?p=139083"},"modified":"2025-09-04T17:22:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-04T21:22:02","slug":"uninstall-wsl-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/uninstall-wsl-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"How to uninstall WSL on Windows 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"sum\">\n<li>To uninstall WSL on Windows 11, open <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Apps<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Installed apps<\/strong> and remove the Linux distros and <strong>&#8220;Windows Subsystem for Linux&#8221;<\/strong> components. Finally, open <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>System<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Optional features<\/strong> &gt; <strong>More Windows Features<\/strong> and remove the WSL and virtual machine components.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>UPDATED 7\/25\/2025:<\/strong> On <a href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/tag\/windows-11\">Windows 11<\/a>, it&#8217;s possible to uninstall the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), but it requires multiple (in-order) steps. Although Microsoft has streamlined the <a href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/install-wsl-windows-11\/\">installation with a single command<\/a> or using the Microsoft Store, removing the platform is not as simple as clicking an <strong>&#8220;Uninstall&#8221;<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n<p>If you want to uninstall WSL from your computer completely, you must remove the Linux distros, uninstall additional components, and disable the platform components.<\/p>\n<p>Although the ability to <a href=\"https:\/\/learn.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/wsl\/about\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">run Linux on Windows 11<\/a> is a useful feature for developers and users who need access to both platforms, there might come a time when you no longer need the platform or may need to reset it to fix problems. Whatever the reason, you can permanently remove WSL by uninstalling all the components in order.<\/p>\n<section class=\"custom-related-posts-wrapper\"><span class=\"custom-related-posts-heading\">Related<\/span><div class=\"custom-related-posts-container\"><a href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/remove-linux-file-explorer-windows-11\/\" class=\"custom-related-post-item\" data-umami-event=\"related_inpost_clicked\" data-umami-event-name=\"How to remove Linux entry from File Explorer on Windows 11\"><div class=\"custom-related-post-thumbnail\"><img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/explorer-linux-removed-hero-mauro-huculak.webp?fit=300%2C199&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to remove Linux entry from File Explorer on Windows 11\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/div><span class=\"custom-related-post-title\">How to remove Linux entry from File Explorer on Windows 11<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/section>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 1.2rem;\">In this\u00a0<\/span><a style=\"font-size: 1.2rem;\" href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/tag\/how-to\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">guide<\/a><span style=\"font-size: 1.2rem;\">, I will walk you through the steps to uninstall the Windows Subsystem for Linux from Windows 11.<\/span>\u00a0<\/p>\n<h2>Completely uninstall WSL from Windows 11<\/h2>\n<p>To uninstall the Windows Subsystem for Linux from Windows 11, you first want to remove the distros, platform components, and the remaining operating system features.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Remove Linux distros<\/h3>\n<p>To uninstall a distro of Linux from WSL on Windows 11, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p>Open <strong>Settings<\/strong> on Windows 11.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click on <strong>Apps<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>Installed apps\u00a0<\/strong>page.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Select the Linux distribution.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>menu<\/strong> (three-dotted) button on the right and the <strong>Uninstall<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-179277\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/windows-11-uninstall-linux-distro_.webp?resize=827%2C494&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Uninstall WSL Linux distro\" width=\"827\" height=\"494\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/windows-11-uninstall-linux-distro_.webp?w=919&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 919w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/windows-11-uninstall-linux-distro_.webp?resize=300%2C179&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/windows-11-uninstall-linux-distro_.webp?resize=150%2C90&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>Uninstall<\/strong> option again.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Once you complete the steps, repeat the instructions to remove any remaining distro as necessary.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Remove Windows Subsystem for Linux components<\/h3>\n<p>To uninstall the WSL Linux kernel and GUI components on Windows 11, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p>Open <strong>Start<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Search for <strong>PowerShell<\/strong>, right-click the top result, and\u00a0<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">then click the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/run-app-administrator-windows\/\"><strong><span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\"><strong>Run as administrator<\/strong><\/span><\/strong><\/a> option.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Type the following command to view all the installed apps and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>Get-AppxPackage MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForLinux | Remove-AppxPackage<\/pre>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-172218\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/remove-windows-subsystem-linux-components.webp?resize=827%2C372&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Windows Subsystem for Linux uninstall\" width=\"827\" height=\"372\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/remove-windows-subsystem-linux-components.webp?w=889&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 889w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/remove-windows-subsystem-linux-components.webp?resize=300%2C135&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/remove-windows-subsystem-linux-components.webp?resize=150%2C67&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>After you complete the steps, you can uninstall the platform from Windows 11.<\/p>\n<p>Previously, Windows 11 provided an option <span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">in\u00a0<strong>Settings<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Apps<\/strong>\u00a0&gt;\u00a0<strong>Installed apps<\/strong>\u00a0to remove the\u00a0<strong>&#8220;Windows Subsystem for Linux&#8221;<\/strong> component, which was later <\/span>relocated to <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>System<\/strong> &gt; <strong>System Components<\/strong>. However, in this location, I have noticed that the component no longer includes the option to uninstall. As a result, the alternative is to remove the WSL component with PowerShell.<\/p>\n<h3>3. Remove WSL from Windows 11<\/h3>\n<p>To uninstall the Windows Subsystem for Linux components from Windows 11, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p>Open <strong>Settings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click on <strong>System<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>Optional features<\/strong> page.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>&#8220;More Windows features&#8221;<\/strong> option under the &#8220;Related settings&#8221; section.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-179278\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/more-windows-features-option_.webp?resize=827%2C397&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Open Windows features settings\" width=\"827\" height=\"397\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/more-windows-features-option_.webp?w=919&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 919w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/more-windows-features-option_.webp?resize=300%2C144&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/more-windows-features-option_.webp?resize=150%2C72&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Clear the <strong>&#8220;Virtual Machine Platform&#8221;<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Clear the <strong>&#8220;Windows Subsystem for Linux&#8221;<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-161762\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/disable-windows-subsystem-linux-feature-windows-11.webp?resize=827%2C418&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Windows 11 uninstall WSL\" width=\"827\" height=\"418\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/disable-windows-subsystem-linux-feature-windows-11.webp?w=902&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 902w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/disable-windows-subsystem-linux-feature-windows-11.webp?resize=300%2C152&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/disable-windows-subsystem-linux-feature-windows-11.webp?resize=150%2C76&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>OK<\/strong> button to uninstall the features.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>Restart now<\/strong> button.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Once you complete the steps, the Windows Subsystem for Linux will be completely removed from your Windows 11 installation.<\/p>\n    <div class=\"responsive-youtube-container\">\n        <iframe\n            src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/xftSZRA7exc?rel=0&showinfo=0\"\n            frameborder=\"0\"\n            allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\"\n            allowfullscreen\n            loading=\"lazy\"\n        ><\/iframe>\n    <\/div>\n<p>The WSL is now an <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.windows.com\/windowsdeveloper\/2025\/05\/19\/the-windows-subsystem-for-linux-is-now-open-source\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">open-source platform<\/a>, allowing you to <a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/microsoft\/WSL\/releases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>download the Windows Subsystem for Linux from GitHub<\/strong><\/a>, rebuild it from source, add new features, and implement fixes.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Update July 25, 2025:<\/strong> This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>You can remove WSL from Windows 11. You need to uninstall the components in order \u2013 here&#8217;s how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":179273,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2426,23],"tags":[96,19,148,2715,2576],"class_list":["post-139083","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-features","category-windows","tag-difficulty-level-intermediate","tag-how-to","tag-linux","tag-windows-11","tag-windows-help"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to uninstall WSL on Windows 11 - Pureinfotech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To uninstall WSL on Windows 11, remove the distros, uninstall kernel update and GUI components, and then disable the WSL platform. 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With over 21 years as a technology writer and IT Specialist, Mauro specializes in Windows, software, and cross-platform systems such as Linux, Android, and macOS. Certifications he holds include Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), VMware Certified Professional (VCP), and CompTIA A+ and Network+. Mauro is a recognized Microsoft MVP and has also been a long-time contributor to Windows Central. You can follow him on YouTube, Threads, BlueSky, X (Twitter), LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at Contact@Pureinfotech.com.\",\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\",\"https:\/\/x.com\/@Pureinfotech\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/mauro-huculak\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"How to uninstall WSL on Windows 11 - Pureinfotech","description":"To uninstall WSL on Windows 11, remove the distros, uninstall kernel update and GUI components, and then disable the WSL platform. 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