Instance Management

WSL Dashboard provides a complete set of tools for managing your WSL distribution instances, from basic state control to advanced disk management.

Basic Operations

In the main view, you can perform the following operations on a selected instance:

• Start: Wake a distribution that is shut down.
• Stop/Shutdown: Shut down a distribution gracefully.
• Terminate: Forcefully end a running distribution's processes (similar to a force shutdown).
• Unregister: Completely delete the distribution and all its data. Proceed with caution; this operation is irreversible.

Advanced Features

Set as Default

You can set a distribution as the system's default WSL instance. Then, running wsl directly in the command line will enter that distribution by default.

Move VHDX

By default, WSL installs instances on the system drive (C:). Over time, the disk image (.vhdx) can take up a lot of space. WSL Dashboard lets you migrate an instance to another drive with one click, without manually executing complex export/import commands.

Export & Clone

• Export: Package the entire instance into a .tar or .tar.gz file for backup.
• Clone: Quickly create a full copy of an existing instance — ideal for taking a snapshot before risky operations.

Browse Files

Click "Open in Explorer" to access the root file system of the WSL instance directly.

Real-Time Monitoring

WSL Dashboard displays the following for each instance in real time:

• Status: running, stopped, installing, etc.
• Disk usage: automatically calculates and shows the size of the .vhdx file.
• Installation path: clearly shows where the instance's physical files are located.

Best Practices

Regular Backups

Before major system updates or modifying core WSL internal configuration (such as kernel compilation or driver installation), it is recommended to use Clone to create a temporary copy, or Export to produce a compressed backup.

Freeing Up Space (Sparse VHDX)

Although WSL 2 disks grow automatically, deleting files does not automatically shrink the .vhdx size.

• Tip: Migrating to a file system that supports compression, or periodically exporting and re-importing, can effectively release "hole" space.

Partition Recommendations

It is recommended to move your main development environment to a non-system drive (such as D: or E:) to prevent system-drive space shortages from degrading Windows performance.