How to Fix WSL Error 0x80370102 in Windows

If you’ve tried installing a Linux distribution on Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and saw the error message:

WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x80370102
The virtual machine could not be started because a required feature is not installed.

don’t worry—this is a common issue. It usually means that virtualization or Hyper-V isn’t enabled on your computer. Let’s break down the problem and the fixes.

Why This Error Happens

WSL 2 relies on virtualization technology and Hyper-V to run Linux distributions on Windows. If these features are disabled (either in BIOS/UEFI or in Windows settings), WSL can’t start the virtual machine it needs.

Typical causes:

• Hardware virtualization is turned off in BIOS/UEFI.
• Hyper-V or Virtual Machine Platform features are disabled in Windows.
• Rarely, issues with nested virtualization or WSL installation itself.

Fix 1: Enable Hardware Virtualization in BIOS

1. Restart your PC.
2. When the screen goes black, press the BIOS key (usually Esc, Del, F2, or F10 depending on your system).
3. Look for a menu called CPU Configuration, Advanced, or Processor Settings.
4. Find the option for Virtualization (may be listed as Intel VT-x, AMD-V, Hyper-V, Vanderpool, or SVM).
5. Enable it, save changes, and exit BIOS.
6. Once back in Windows, open Task Manager > Performance tab and confirm “Virtualization: Enabled.”

Fix 2: Turn On Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Platform

1. Press Start, type Windows Features, and select Turn Windows features on or off.
2. In the list, check Hyper-V and Virtual Machine Platform.
3. Click OK and restart your computer.

This ensures Windows can run the virtual machine needed for WSL 2.

Fix 3: Enable Nested Virtualization (If Running Inside Another VM)

If you’re using WSL inside a virtual machine (for example, a Hyper-V VM), you’ll need nested virtualization.

1. Shut down the virtual machine.
2. Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:Set-VMProcessor -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $trueReplace with your VM’s name.
3. Open Hyper-V Manager, right-click your VM, and select Settings.
4. Under Memory, uncheck Enable Dynamic Memory and increase the RAM (e.g., from 2 GB to 4 GB).
5. Save changes and restart the VM.

Alternative: Switch to WSL 1

If you can’t enable virtualization (for example, on older systems), you can switch to WSL 1 instead:

1. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
2. Run:wsl --set-default-version 1

This lets you use WSL, though it won’t have all the features of WSL 2.

Final Check

After applying one of the above solutions:

• Restart your PC.
• Try installing your Linux distribution again.

You should now be able to run WSL without hitting the 0x80370102 error.