WSL2 fails with `HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED` on Windows 11 build 26200.7840; `HypervisorPresent=False` despite virtualization enabled

[BruRdgz]

Windows Version

Windows 11 25H2 (OS Build 26200.7840)

WSL Version

2.6.0.3.0

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

6.6.87.2-1

Distro Version

No response

Other Software

No response

Repro Steps

After updating to Windows 11 25H2 (OS Build 26200.7840), WSL2 cannot install any distribution. wsl --install fails with:

Wsl/InstallDistro/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED

This happens even though:

• AMD-V/SVM is enabled in BIOS/UEFI and Windows confirms firmware virtualization is enabled.
• Windows optional features required by WSL2 are enabled (VirtualMachinePlatform, HypervisorPlatform).
• Boot loader is configured with hypervisorlaunchtype Auto.
• vmcompute and hns services are present and running.
• System health checks (DISM /RestoreHealth and sfc /scannow) report no integrity violations.

However, Windows reports no hypervisor is present at runtime:
(Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem).HypervisorPresent returns False.

Because the hypervisor never loads, WSL2 cannot create its VM and Docker Desktop (WSL2 backend) also cannot start.

1. Boot Windows 11 25H2 (OS Build 26200.7840).
2. Open PowerShell as Administrator.
3. Run:

   wsl --install

4. Observe distro installation fails with HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED.

Optional verification (shows hypervisor never loads even though prerequisites are enabled):

(Get-CimInstance Win32_ComputerSystem).HypervisorPresent

Expected Behavior

Expected: True

Actual Behavior

Actual: False

Diagnostic Logs

Windows optional features

dism /online /get-featureinfo /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform
dism /online /get-featureinfo /featurename:HypervisorPlatform

Both show:

State : Enabled

Services

Get-Service vmcompute,hns | Format-Table Name,Status,StartType

hns       Running    Manual
vmcompute Running    Manual

WSL service present on this build:

Get-Service WSLService | Format-Table Name,Status,StartType

WSLService Running Automatic

Note: LxssManager service is not present on this system (only WSLService exists).

System integrity checks

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth
sfc /scannow

Results:

• DISM: restore operation completed successfully
• SFC: Windows Resource Protection did not find any integrity violations

Additional info

systeminfo | findstr /i "Hyper-V"

Output:

Hyper-V Requirements: VM Monitor Mode Extensions: Yes

What I tried

• Verified SVM/AMD-V enabled in BIOS/UEFI.
• Confirmed required Windows features enabled: VirtualMachinePlatform + HypervisorPlatform (+ WSL).
• Confirmed hypervisorlaunchtype Auto.
• Ran DISM RestoreHealth + SFC (no integrity violations).
• Multiple reboots.
• Issue persists: hypervisor not present (HypervisorPresent=False) and WSL2 fails with HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED.

Questions

• Is this a known regression on Windows 11 25H2 build 26200.7840 where the hypervisor fails to load, causing WSL2 CreateVm/HCS to fail?
• What logs should be attached to identify why the hypervisor is not loading (Event Viewer channels / ETW traces)?
• Any workaround to force hypervisor load without reinstalling Windows?

[github-actions]

Logs are required for review from WSL team

If this a feature request, please reply with '/feature'. If this is a question, reply with '/question'.
Otherwise, please attach logs by following the instructions below, your issue will not be reviewed unless they are added. These logs will help us understand what is going on in your machine.

How to collect WSL logs

Download and execute collect-wsl-logs.ps1 in an administrative powershell prompt:

Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/WSL/master/diagnostics/collect-wsl-logs.ps1" -OutFile collect-wsl-logs.ps1
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
.\collect-wsl-logs.ps1

The script will output the path of the log file once done.

If this is a networking issue, please use .\collect-wsl-logs.ps1 -LogProfile networking instead, following the instructions in Collect WSL logs for networking issues

Once completed please upload the output files to this GitHub issue.

See Collect WSL logs (recommended method).

If you choose to email these logs instead of attaching them to the bug, please send them to wsl-gh-logs@microsoft.com with the GitHub issue number in the subject, and include a link to your GitHub issue comment in the message body, and reply with '/emailed-logs'.

[BruRdgz]

WslLogs-2026-03-09_14-57-30.zip

[github-actions]

Diagnostic information

Detected appx version: 2.6.3.0
Detected user visible error: Wsl/InstallDistro/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED

[BruRdgz]

Let it be known that this issue has been persisting for well over a month.
It's not user-side, given that;

• Virtualisation technology is indeed enabled on my BIOS,
• No other OS has had problem with it.

I'd like for some clarify if this is a regression or something, because it's genuinely disrupting my workflow.

[ranjith7022]

Hi seraphiineByte (@BruRdgz) ,

not sure will it work for you, but check this workaround
Fix (clean enable of WSL2 platform)

Run PowerShell as Administrator.

1️⃣ Disable the feature completely
dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform

Restart Windows.

2️⃣ Enable it again

After reboot:

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all

Restart again.

3️⃣ Verify service exists

Run:

Get-Service vmcompute

Now you should see something like:

Status Name DisplayName
Running vmcompute Hyper-V Host Compute Service

[BruRdgz]

Craig Loewen (@craigloewen-msft) Just checking in to see if there’s any update or ETA on this bug. It’s starting to block my workflow since I rely heavily on Docker, and I’m considering switching away from Windows temporarily because of it.

Do you know if a fix might make it into an upcoming Patch Tuesday release?

[craigloewen-msft]

seraphiineByte (@BruRdgz) unfortunately I don't have an update - this seems like a deeper hypervisor bug. So we're still investigating!

[BruRdgz]

Hey Craig Loewen (@craigloewen-msft),
Any updates on this?

[OriWiisp]

Hi @BruRdgz ,

not sure will it work for you, but check this workaround Fix (clean enable of WSL2 platform)

Run PowerShell as Administrator.

1️⃣ Disable the feature completely dism /online /disable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform

Restart Windows.

2️⃣ Enable it again

After reboot:

dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all

Restart again.

3️⃣ Verify service exists

Run:

Get-Service vmcompute

Now you should see something like:

Status Name DisplayName Running vmcompute Hyper-V Host Compute Service

See https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/3888158/wsl2-stopped-working-suddenly-hcs-e-hyperv-not-ins

[warenkanepgeb351-lang]

这件事有进展吗，我也遇到了相同的问题

[warenkanepgeb351-lang]

这件事有进展吗，我也遇到了相同的问题

发现是设备管理器中的microsoft hyper-V 虚拟化基础结构驱动程序没有正常开启。
在此之前我尝试iso修复了系统。