WSL2 fails with HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED – Hyper-V not starting

[khabibvanier]

Windows Version

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro (Build 26200)

WSL Version

0.0.0

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

Unknown – WSL2 fails before VM creation

Distro Version

No response

Other Software

Trying to run Claude Cowork which requires WSL2 / Hyper-V.

Claude Cowork shows:
"Virtualization is not available. Claude's workspace requires Hyper-V but the virtualization service isn't responding."

Installing Ubuntu through WSL fails with:

WSL2 is not supported with your current machine configuration
Error code: HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED

System:
Windows 11 Pro (Build 26200)
Ryzen 7 9800X3D
ASUS ROG STRIX B850-A

What I verified:

• CPU virtualization supported
• Virtualization enabled in BIOS
• SVM enabled
• Hyper-V features enabled
• Virtual Machine Platform enabled
• Windows Subsystem for Linux enabled
• hypervisorlaunchtype set to Auto
• Virtualization-based security disabled

Ubuntu downloads but installation fails when creating the VM.

systeminfo still shows Hyper-V requirements instead of detecting a hypervisor.

Repro Steps

1. Install Windows 11 Pro (Build 26200).
2. Enable virtualization in BIOS (SVM enabled).
3. Enable Windows features:
   • Hyper-V
   • Virtual Machine Platform
   • Windows Subsystem for Linux
4. Restart the computer.
5. Attempt to install Ubuntu using WSL.
6. Launch Claude Cowork which requires Hyper-V / WSL2.

The Ubuntu download starts but fails during VM creation.
Claude Cowork reports that virtualization is not available.

Expected Behavior

WSL2 should install successfully and create the Linux VM.

Running systeminfo should show:
"A hypervisor has been detected."

Claude Cowork should be able to start its workspace using Hyper-V virtualization.

Actual Behavior

WSL fails during installation with the error:

WSL2 is not supported with your current machine configuration
HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED

systeminfo still shows "Hyper-V Requirements" instead of detecting a running hypervisor.

Claude Cowork continues to show:
"Virtualization is not available. Claude's workspace requires Hyper-V but the virtualization service isn't responding."

Diagnostic Logs

No additional logs collected yet.

Relevant observations:

• systeminfo reports virtualization enabled in firmware.
• Hyper-V features are installed.
• hypervisorlaunchtype is set to Auto.
• Virtualization-based security is disabled.
• systeminfo still shows "Hyper-V Requirements" instead of detecting a running hypervisor.

Screenshots of the WSL installation error and Claude Cowork virtualization error are attached.

[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'.

[khabibvanier]

I prefer not to upload the full diagnostic logs for privacy reasons.

However, I have attached screenshots showing:

• the WSL installation error (HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED)
• the systeminfo output showing Hyper-V requirements
• the Claude Cowork virtualization error

Please let me know if there is any specific information or commands I can provide instead of uploading the full log bundle.