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Resolving Error: 0x80370114 The operation could not be started because a required feature is not installed.

13657895 25 Reputation points
2023-03-07T14:50:46.19+00:00

(Windows 10 2022H2)

I am really stuck on this error, is there anything else I can try? Is there anything I can try? I seem to be unable to update WSL.

Running in Powershell:

wsl --update

returns

WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x80370114

Error: 0x80370114 The operation could not be started because a required feature is not installed.

I have tried multiple variations of ensuring virtualization is turned on, and enabling various related features, following the steps in the below answers.

Running:

wsl --set-default-version 2

returns 'The operation completed successfully.'

However from wsl -v:

WSL version: 1.1.3.0

Update 9/3: Following some of the early steps here (https://softwaretested.com/windows/wslregisterdistribution-failed-with-error-0x80370114/) I can see that it states to:

  1. Find the Hyper-V Host Compute service by going to this path: C:\WINDOWS\System32\vmcompute.exe.

vmcompute.exe isn't running or found on my machine (even though many Hyper-V services are). This probably is part of the issue?

Referencing:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/all/wsl-2-installing-linux-failed-error-code/bae391d1-4215-4d93-b0c4-3d96404a7c74

https://stackoverflow.com/questions/66091744/docker-failed-to-start/68768646#68768646

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6 answers

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  1. NaviKing 140 Reputation points
    2023-05-14T21:28:58.5233333+00:00

    I ran into this exact issue today. I managed to resolve it by using the Control Panel (not settings) to turn windows features on or off and enable Virtual Machine Platform. This gave me vmcompute.exe as expected and I was able to follow the subsequent steps for troubleshooting to fix the issueUser's image

    28 people found this answer helpful.
  2. 13657895 25 Reputation points
    2023-03-14T11:31:41.5266667+00:00

    I've found that the reason for this error was that the Virtual Machine Platform was not remaining enabled due to a windows update error (features were being rolled back at install following the reboot).

    Reinstalling windows seems to have resolved this, WMP remains enabled now, and then wsl --install is successful.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
  3. Saeed Hossam 5 Reputation points
    2023-07-25T13:34:56.0266667+00:00

    My Virtual Machine Platform checkbox was checked, but Hyper-V wasn't checked, which is essential in running WSL I guess, because when I checked it, my computer required to be restarted, and then it worked.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  4. Alex Wilkinson 5 Reputation points
    2023-10-10T09:32:42.7666667+00:00

    My version of this was that Windows Subsystem for Linux was not ticked. I ticked this, and on restart the wsl distribution started automatically.

    1 person found this answer helpful.
    0 comments
  5. Thad Guidry 5 Reputation points
    2024-11-01T11:00:01.9666667+00:00

    WSL 2 requires two Windows Features to be enabled:

    1. "Virtual Machine Platform" (a subset of Hyper-V)
    2. "Windows Subsystem for Linux"

    Both features can be enabled through Control Panel or Search by searching for "Windows Features" and clicking "Turn Windows Features on or off".

    The newest version of WSL, which is WSL 2, uses a subset of Hyper-V architecture to enable its virtualization. This subset is provided as an optional component named "Virtual Machine Platform," available on all Desktop SKUs.

    See Microsoft's WSL 2 FAQ https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/faq#wsl-2

    1 person found this answer helpful.
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