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How to Export, Import and Unregister Linux on Windows 10?

Windows 10 version 1903 (May 2019 Update) added new Windows wsl command-line options to import, export and unregister Linux environment with TAR format file on the root file system.

How to Export, Import and Unregister Linux on Windows 10How to Export/Backup Linux System

  1. PowerShell or Command Prompt environment in order to execute wsl command (wsl.exe). Right click Start button or press Windows + x and then click Windows PowerShell.
  2. To list the distros installed, run the following command: wsl --list
  3. Use the following command to export distro’s file system to TAR file: wsl --export distro_name file_name.tar
    For example, to export Ubuntu 18.04 system to ubuntu.tar, Execute: wsl --export Ubuntu-18.04 ubuntu.tar
  4. A TAR file containing Linux distribution’s file system created.

How to Import/Restore Linux System

Use wsl command with --import option to import a TAR file created: wsl --import distro_name install_location file_name.tar

For example, in order to import distro from TAR file located at C:\Users\Chris\ubuntu.tar, call it “Ubuntu-18.04,” and store it at C:\Users\Chris\ubuntu. execute: wsl --import Ubuntu-18.04 C:\Users\Chris\ubuntu C:\Users\Chris\ubuntu.tar

If you want to match where Windows normally installs them to by default, they’re generally in their own folder in C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Local\Packages.

For example, you might want to put Ubuntu in C:\Users\NAME\AppData\Local\Packages\Ubuntu.

How to Unregister/Delete Linux System

Uninstall distro with --unregister option along with its name. This will result in all the Linux distribution’s files being deleted.

  1. Use the following command to see all installed distributions: wsl --list
  2. Specify the distribution you want to delete: wsl --unregister distro_name

For example, if it’s called Ubuntu-18.04, you’d run: wsl --unregister Ubuntu-18.04