{"id":155552,"date":"2025-12-12T05:35:29","date_gmt":"2025-12-12T10:35:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/?p=155552"},"modified":"2025-12-12T08:29:40","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T13:29:40","slug":"update-wsl-kernel-windows-11","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/update-wsl-kernel-windows-11\/","title":{"rendered":"How to update WSL kernel on Windows 11"},"content":{"rendered":"<ul class=\"sum\">\n<li>To update WSL on Windows 11, open PowerShell or Command Prompt (admin), run the <code>wsl --update<\/code>\u00a0command, and restart the computer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>UPDATED 12\/12\/2025:<\/strong> On <a href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/tag\/windows-11\">Windows 11<\/a>, you can update the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) kernel and other components with a single command, and in this guide, you will learn how.<\/p>\n<p>Although WSL updates are delivered automatically via Windows Update, you may still need to check and download the latest updates for the subsystem kernel and other components. That&#8217;s where the <strong>&#8220;wsl.exe&#8221;<\/strong> command-line tool comes in handy.<\/p>\n<p>Now, if you are trying to <a href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/install-windows-subsystem-linux-2-windows-10\/\">switch from WSL 1 to version 2<\/a>, then it&#8217;s not an update. It&#8217;s an upgrade, and this process is a little different.<\/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\/uninstall-wsl-windows-11\/\" class=\"custom-related-post-item\" data-umami-event=\"related_inpost_clicked\" data-umami-event-name=\"How to uninstall WSL on Windows 11\"><div class=\"custom-related-post-thumbnail\"><img src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/windows-11-wsl-uninstall-hero.webp?fit=300%2C188&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"How to uninstall WSL on Windows 11\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" \/><\/div><span class=\"custom-related-post-title\">How to uninstall WSL on Windows 11<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/section>\n<p>This <a href=\"https:\/\/pureinfotech.com\/tag\/how-to\">guide<\/a> will teach you the easy steps to update the WSL platform on Windows 11. In addition, I&#8217;ll outline the steps to enable automatic update downloads and installation.<\/p>\n<ul class=\"toc\">\n<li><a href=\"#wsl_install_update\">Install WSL updates on Windows 11<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"#faqs_wsl_install_update\">FAQs about updating WSL on Windows 11<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 id=\"wsl_install_update\">Install WSL updates on Windows 11<\/h2>\n<p>To update WSL on Windows 11, follow these steps:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\n<p>Open <strong>Start <\/strong>on Windows 11.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Search for <strong>Command Prompt<\/strong>, right-click the top result, and select the <strong>Run as administrator<\/strong> option.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>(Optional) Type the following command to confirm the current Windows Subsystem for Linux version and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>wsl --version<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Type the following command to update the WSL on Windows 11 and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>wsl --update<\/pre>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-183518\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-update-wsl.webp?resize=827%2C390&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"WSL install updates\" width=\"827\" height=\"390\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-update-wsl.webp?w=938&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 938w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-update-wsl.webp?resize=300%2C141&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-update-wsl.webp?resize=150%2C71&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 827px) 100vw, 827px\" \/><\/li>\n<li>\n<p>(Optional) Type the following command to confirm the latest kernel update has been installed and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>wsl --version<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>(Optional) Type the following command to revert to the previous version of WSL and press <strong>Enter<\/strong>:<\/p>\n<pre>wsl --update --rollback<\/pre>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>After you complete the steps, if an update is available, it will download and install on your computer.<\/p>\n<p>When using this mechanism to update the Windows Subsystem for Linux, note that there is a delay between\u00a0<span style=\"box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;\">Microsoft releasing a new kernel to\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/github.com\/microsoft\/WSL2-Linux-Kernel\/releases\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GitHub<\/a> and the update becoming<\/span>\u00a0available through Windows Update. As a result, the version on your computer may not always match the most up-to-date version available for the platform.\u00a0<\/p>\n<h3>Enable WSL automatic updates\u00a0<\/h3>\n<p>To allow WSL to download and install updates automatically on 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>Windows Update<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Click the <strong>Advanced options<\/strong> tab.<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<li>\n<p>Turn on the <strong>&#8220;Receive updates for other Microsoft products&#8221;<\/strong> toggle switch.<\/p>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-183519\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-enable-auto-update-wsl.webp?resize=827%2C368&#038;quality=78&#038;strip=all&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"Receive updates for other Microsoft products\" width=\"827\" height=\"368\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-enable-auto-update-wsl.webp?w=973&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 973w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-enable-auto-update-wsl.webp?resize=300%2C134&amp;quality=78&amp;strip=all&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/pureinfotech.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/windows-11-enable-auto-update-wsl.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>Once you complete the steps, updates should download and install automatically for the Windows Subsystem for Linux.<\/p>\n<h3 id=\"faqs_wsl_install_update\">FAQs about updating WSL on Windows 11<\/h3>\n<p>Here&#8217;s a list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) and answers about updating the Windows Subsystem for Linux manually.<\/p>\n<h4>How do I update WSL on Windows 11?<\/h4>\n<p>You can update WSL by opening PowerShell or Command Prompt as an administrator and running the <code>wsl --update<\/code> command. Restart the computer to apply the changes.<\/p>\n<h4>Do I need to check for WSL updates manually?<\/h4>\n<p>Although WSL updates are usually delivered through Windows Update, you can manually trigger the process with <code>wsl --update<\/code> whenever you want to ensure you&#8217;re running the latest kernel and components.<\/p>\n<h4>How can I check which WSL version I&#8217;m running?<\/h4>\n<p>Run the <code>wsl --version<\/code> command in PowerShell or Command Prompt to view the current version installed on your system.<\/p>\n<h4>Is updating WSL the same as upgrading from WSL 1 to WSL 2?<\/h4>\n<p>No. Updating WSL installs the latest kernel and components, while upgrading from WSL 1 to WSL 2 is a separate process that requires enabling virtualization features and converting the distro with <code>wsl --set-version<\/code>.<\/p>\n<h4>Can I revert to a previous WSL version?<\/h4>\n<p>Yes. Use the command <code>wsl --update --rollback<\/code> to roll back to the previous kernel if the latest version causes issues.<\/p>\n<h4>Why doesn&#8217;t my WSL version match the one listed on GitHub?<\/h4>\n<p>Microsoft often publishes new kernels on GitHub before they roll out through Windows Update, which can create a short delay before you receive the latest version on your device.<\/p>\n<h4>How do I enable automatic WSL updates?<\/h4>\n<p>Go to <strong>Settings<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Windows Update<\/strong> &gt; <strong>Advanced options<\/strong> and turn on the <strong>&#8220;Receive updates for other Microsoft products&#8221;<\/strong> option. This ensures WSL updates install automatically.<\/p>\n<h4>Does updating WSL affect my Linux distributions?<\/h4>\n<p>No. Updating WSL only updates the subsystem&#8217;s components, not your installed Linux distros or their packages.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Update December 12, 2025:<\/strong> This guide has been updated to ensure accuracy and reflect changes to the process.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Windows 11 includes a simple command to update the WSL kernel and components, and in this guide, you will learn how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":183521,"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":[2690,23],"tags":[96,19,2715,2576,2724],"class_list":["post-155552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-linux","category-windows","tag-difficulty-level-intermediate","tag-how-to","tag-windows-11","tag-windows-help","tag-wsl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>How to update WSL kernel on Windows 11 - Pureinfotech<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To update the WSL kernel on Windows 11, open Command Prompt (admin) and run the &quot;wsl --update&quot; command. 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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 update WSL kernel on Windows 11 - Pureinfotech","description":"To update the WSL kernel on Windows 11, open Command Prompt (admin) and run the \"wsl --update\" command. 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