WSL Default Version Registry Key in Windows

This article explains how to locate and modify the Windows Registry keys that manage the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) configuration, including the default distribution and the WSL architecture version (WSL 1 vs. WSL 2). By navigating the Windows Registry Editor, users can view registered distributions, identify default settings, and manually adjust WSL version attributes.

The WSL Registry Path

The primary registry location responsible for managing installed WSL distributions and the default distribution is located under the user profile hive:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss

Key Registry Values Explained

Inside the Lxss key, several values and subkeys define your WSL configuration:

1. DefaultDistribution

• Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss
• Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
• Description: Contains the GUID (Unique Identifier) of the default Linux distribution launched when running the wsl command without parameters.

2. Individual Distribution Version (Version)

• Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss\{DISTRIBUTION-GUID}
• Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD 32-bit Value)
• Value Data:
  • 1 = WSL 1
  • 2 = WSL 2
• Description: Controls the architecture version used by that specific distribution.

3. Distribution Name (DistributionName)

• Path: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss\{DISTRIBUTION-GUID}
• Type: REG_SZ (String Value)
• Description: Specifies the human-readable name of the distribution (e.g., Ubuntu, Debian).

How to View and Modify the WSL Key in Regedit

1. Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

2. Navigate to:

   HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Lxss

3. To change the default distribution, copy the GUID folder name of your target distribution and paste it into the DefaultDistribution string value.

4. To change the WSL version for a specific distribution, open the corresponding GUID folder, double-click the Version DWORD value, and set it to 1 or 2.

5. Restart your WSL terminal session or run wsl --shutdown via PowerShell to apply the changes.