How to Fix WSL 2 Kernel File Not Found

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WSL 2 kernel file is not found and may need to be reinstalled or repaired manually

Error:

C:\Users\Administrator>wsl --update
Checking for updates...
No updates are available.
The WSL 2 kernel file is not found and may need to be reinstalled or repaired manually.
For more information please visit https://aka.ms/wsl2kernel.
C:\Users\Administrator>wsl --status
Default Version: 1
WSL automatic updates are on.
The WSL 2 kernel file is not found. 
To update or restore the kernel please run 'wsl.exe --update'.

Cause:

This usually happens when WSL is enabled but the Linux kernel is not installed, very common in VirtualBox Windows VMs.

Below is the working solution step-by-step (you can use this directly in your YouTube video).

Solution: Fix “WSL 2 kernel file not found”

🔹 Step 1: Enable required Windows features

Open Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Example:


C:\Users\Administrator>dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.20348.1

Image Version: 10.0.20348.587

Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

C:\Users\Administrator>dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.20348.1

Image Version: 10.0.20348.587

Enabling feature(s)
[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

👉 Restart Windows after this.

🔹 Step 2: Download & install WSL2 Linux kernel (IMPORTANT)

WSL kernel is NOT auto-installed in VirtualBox.

👉 Open this link in browser:

https://aka.ms/wsl2kernel

Download wsl_update_x64.msi

Double-click and install it

Restart Windows again

Step 3: Set WSL 2 as default

After restart, open Command Prompt (Admin):


wsl --set-default-version 2


C:\Users\Administrator>wsl --update
Checking for updates…
No updates are available.
Kernel version: 5.10.16

Step 4: Verify WSL installation

Run:

wsl --status
wsl -l -v

Very Important (VirtualBox Users)

If WSL still fails:

✔️ Enable Nested Virtualization

  1. Power OFF Windows VM
  2. In VirtualBox → Settings → System → Processor
  3. ✔️ Check Enable Nested VT-x/AMD-V
  4. Start VM again

Note: But is some cases, this option is disabled

Why VT-x / AMD-V is DISABLED in VirtualBox

You are running Windows inside Oracle VirtualBox, and:

  • Hardware virtualization is already used by the HOST
  • VirtualBox cannot pass VT-x/AMD-V to a guest VM unless:
    • CPU supports nested virtualization
    • AND it is explicitly enabled

On many systems (especially laptops), nested virtualization is NOT supported or blocked, so VirtualBox shows it as Disabled / Greyed out.