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WSL 2.6.2.0 - Abrupt restart on new updates from Microsoft Store?

Flinn 10 Reputation points
2025-12-04T18:53:09.89+00:00

Hi,

I've noticed that when a new WSL update is available from the Microsoft Store, my running instances of WSL are abruptly shut down without warning or regard for running processes under the Linux subsystem, and the update is automatically applied.

A number of other people have also noted this issue on the WSL GitHub repo from March (see https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/discussions/12675) with no official response from what I can see.

Automatically shutting down a running WSL instance when an update is downloaded and being applied from the Microsoft Store, without at the very least prompting the user first, is not congruent to a safe Linux development environment on Windows for anyone.

Is there currently a solution for disabling WSL automatic updates that does not involve removing the Microsoft Store's ability to update completely, as discussed in the GitHub issue?

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Windows update

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  1. AI answer

    2025-12-04T18:53:25.4566667+00:00

    Currently, there is no official method to disable automatic updates for WSL from the Microsoft Store without removing the Store's ability to update entirely. The abrupt shutdown of running WSL instances during updates has been noted by multiple users, and it appears to be a known issue. Unfortunately, as of now, there hasn't been a response or solution provided by Microsoft regarding this specific concern on the WSL GitHub repository.

    For users looking for a workaround, the best practice would be to regularly save your work and close WSL instances before updates are likely to occur, although this does not prevent the issue from happening unexpectedly.

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