Error: 0x80070570 The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

[NewtonChutney]

Windows Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22631.2861]

WSL Version

WSL version: 2.0.14.0

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

5.15.133.1-1

Distro Version

Ubuntu (all versions)

Other Software

Docker Desktop (desktop/desktop-data disabled)
Podman Desktop (machine disabled)

Repro Steps

Just had an update with wsl --update, and poof... started getting this issue

Expected Behavior

wsl should launch/install properly

Actual Behavior

wsl isn't getting installed properly

~
❯ wsl --install
Ubuntu is already installed.
Launching Ubuntu...
Installing, this may take a few minutes...
WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x80070570
Error: 0x80070570 The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable.

Press any key to continue...
The operation completed successfully.

Diagnostic Logs

Email sent to wsl-gh-logs@microsoft.com

[github-actions]

Hi I'm an AI powered bot that finds similar issues based off the issue title.

Please view the issues below to see if they solve your problem, and if the issue describes your problem please consider closing this one and thumbs upping the other issue to help us prioritize it. Thank you!

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• The file or directory is corrupted and unreadable (#7991), similarity score: 0.83

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[NewtonChutney]

I currently do not have any installed version of Ubuntu.. but before I had reset the installed "Ubuntu" distro, when I launched would say something about the C:\Program Files\WSL\system.vhd file being corrupted

[NewtonChutney]

How do I reinstall wsl? I'm able to uninstall the upper app, but for the lower one, when I trigger an uninstall raises some weird error:

[NewtonChutney]

dism and sfc say restored and verification complete..
Tried enabling and disabling the optional WSL feature.. and restarted

The same popup appears when I try to run the latest installer from github releases:

When I run the older one:

[OneBlue]

I currently do not have any installed version of Ubuntu.. but before I had reset the installed "Ubuntu" distro, when I launched would say something about the C:\Program Files\WSL\system.vhd file being corrupted

This is indeed what I saw in the logs. Unfortunately it might be that your disk is corrupted. One thing you can try would be to run:

chkdsk /r /f

And see if that recovers. If not you might need to reinstall Windows.

[NewtonChutney]

@OneBlue, thanks for the suggestion..
But nope.. chkdsk didn't help out 🥲

Cleaning up is the solution.. But shouldn't there be an uninstaller/installer that isolates the WSL components and fixes them.. I really don't understand how an installer fails to launch..

Anyhow, I ended up doing an in place upgrade.. (keep personal files only, removed apps)
And all's good.. ♥
Thanks!

[ricardoboss]

I had issues with docker engine not being able to start, so I decided to reinstall WSL.

Ended up with the same error message. chkdsk /r /f also didn't find any issues.

[OneBlue]

Thank you for confirming. Closing since the issue is fixed.

[ricardoboss]

Uhh, no the issue is not fixed. I had to reinstall my OS to work around this. How is this fixed?

[NewtonChutney]

Yes, a component that's installed through the store.. But I couldn't fix it..
The WSL "app" wouldn't uninstall or anything..
There ought to be some other user-friendly way?

[OneBlue]

Yes, a component that's installed through the store.. But I couldn't fix it.. The WSL "app" wouldn't uninstall or anything.. There ought to be some other user-friendly way?

What do you mean by the "App app wouldn't uninstall" ? What exact error did you see ?

[NewtonChutney]

How do I reinstall wsl? I'm able to uninstall the upper app, but for the lower one, when I trigger an uninstall raises some weird error:

This is the error I get when uninstalling the "store app"

[NewtonChutney]

dism and sfc say restored and verification complete..
Tried enabling and disabling the optional WSL feature.. and restarted

The same popup appears when I try to run the latest installer from github releases:

When I run the older one:

Alright, if we say it is disk corruption.. How does a freshly downloaded installer fail to launch as well?

[OneBlue]

This would be because the previous installation is corrupted, and so the installer would fail to upgrade the previous installation. Unfortunately this is not something that can be fixed on the installer side

[NewtonChutney]

This would be because the previous installation is corrupted, and so the installer would fail to upgrade the previous installation. Unfortunately this is not something that can be fixed on the installer side

Alright.. 🥶
ᓚᘏᗢ

Thanks for helping out!

[AidanWelch]

This would be because the previous installation is corrupted, and so the installer would fail to upgrade the previous installation. Unfortunately this is not something that can be fixed on the installer side

So why cannot it not be deleted and reinstalled?

[AidanWelch]

Okay, I was able to fix the issue without reinstalling my OS be deleting everything I could in C:\Program Files\WSL except 2 files that were being used by a program. I then uninstalled Ubuntu. Next, I disabled the Windows Features Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Hypervisor Platform, and Virtual Machine Platform. I rebooted once that was done. Then I enabled the features again(and I think rebooted again), and finally reinstalled Ubuntu from the MS Store- and it worked again.

[NewtonChutney]

Ahh, that's nice.
I had the same error message when uninstalling.. And reinstalling didn't work..

I guess mine was in a really bad state or else the team might have fixed something meanwhile.. 🥲

[chbroecker]

I am also experiencing the same error.

When you are saying that you deleted the C:\Program Files\WSL folder how did you manage to run wsl --install again @AidanWelch? If I delete the folder it does not reappear and I get the path not found error below.

Really do not want reinstall Windows again because one of its apps got corrupted..

[AidanWelch]

@chbroecker Did you uninstall your distro from the MS store then reinstall it?

[Lorenzo9196]

Okay, I was able to fix the issue without reinstalling my OS be deleting everything I could in C:\Program Files\WSL except 2 files that were being used by a program. I then uninstalled Ubuntu. Next, I disabled the Windows Features Windows Subsystem for Linux, Windows Hypervisor Platform, and Virtual Machine Platform. I rebooted once that was done. Then I enabled the features again(and I think rebooted again), and finally reinstalled Ubuntu from the MS Store- and it worked again.

This worked for me, I was facing the same issue