How to Install Linux on Windows 11

You can install Linux on a Windows 11 PC in three ways: the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), a virtual machine, or a dual boot setup. WSL is the quickest and safest for most people. Right-click Start, choose Terminal (Admin), type wsl --install, press Enter, and restart when asked. After the restart, Ubuntu finishes setting up and asks you to pick a Linux username and password. There’s no partitioning and nothing extra to download.

Applies to: Windows 11 Home, Pro and Enterprise, including the current version 26H2. The WSL steps follow Microsoft’s Install WSL page. WSL also runs on Windows 10 version 2004 and later, but Windows 10 reached end of support on October 14, 2025.

Which method should you use?

All three put a real Linux system on your PC. They differ in how much of the computer Linux gets and how much can go wrong.

	WSL	Virtual machine	Dual boot
What you get	Linux command line plus Linux GUI apps in their own windows	A full Linux desktop inside a window	Linux running directly on the hardware
Setup time	Minutes	About an hour	An hour or more
Risk to Windows	Very low	Very low	Real: you change your drive’s partitions
Switching	Use both at the same time	Use both at the same time	Restart to switch
Best for	Developers, scripting, learning Linux commands	Trying a desktop like GNOME or KDE, testing distributions	Gaming on Linux, full performance, replacing Windows over time

If you aren’t sure, start with WSL. You can always add a virtual machine or dual boot later, and WSL is easy to remove if you don’t use it.

Before you start

• Check that virtualization is on. WSL 2 and virtual machines both need it. Open Task Manager (Ctrl + Shift + Esc), select Performance > CPU, and look for Virtualization: Enabled under the graph. Microsoft says many Windows PCs already have it turned on. If yours says Disabled, the steps for turning on virtualization in Windows 11 walk you through the UEFI setting.
• Install Windows updates. Go to Settings > Windows Update and install anything pending before you begin.
• Free up space. WSL with Ubuntu uses a few gigabytes to start and grows as you add software. A virtual machine needs a virtual disk of 25 GB or more. For dual booting, Ubuntu asks for at least 25 GB; 50 GB or more is more comfortable.
• Back up your files. Essential before dual booting, and a good habit before any big change.

Method 1: Install Linux with WSL (recommended)

WSL runs a real Linux kernel in a lightweight utility virtual machine that Windows manages for you. New installs use WSL 2 by default, and the default distribution is Ubuntu.

1. Right-click the Start button and select Terminal (Admin). Select Yes at the User Account Control prompt. (An administrator PowerShell window works the same way.)
2. Type wsl --install and press Enter. Windows turns on the features WSL needs, downloads the WSL components and downloads Ubuntu. You’ll see progress messages in the window.

3. Restart your PC when the command asks you to.
4. After you sign back in, a console window opens to finish installing Ubuntu. If it doesn’t, type Ubuntu in the Start menu search and open it. The first launch takes a minute or two while files decompress; later launches take about a second.
5. When prompted, enter a new Linux username and password. These belong to Linux only and don’t need to match your Windows account. Nothing appears on screen while you type the password; that’s normal.

6. Update the system’s software by running sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade and entering the Linux password you just made.

You’re done when you see a prompt that ends in a $, such as alex@DESKTOP:~$. For a closer look at the WSL components themselves, see how to install WSL on Windows 11.

Install a different distribution

Ubuntu is only the default. To see what else WSL can install, run this in Terminal:

wsl --list --online

The list shows a short name for each distribution in the left column. Install one with wsl --install -d followed by that name, for example wsl --install -d Debian. You can install several distributions side by side. Distributions are also available in the Microsoft Store: search for the name and select Get.

If wsl --install prints a page of help text instead of installing, WSL is already on your PC. Run wsl --list --online and then wsl --install -d with the name you want.

Picking a distribution

• Ubuntu: the default and the safest pick for beginners, because most tutorials assume it. The plain Ubuntu entry tracks the current long-term support (LTS) release; entries such as Ubuntu-24.04 pin a specific release. Canonical’s Install Ubuntu on WSL 2 guide lists the names and lists Ubuntu 26.04 LTS as the newest LTS.
• Debian: smaller and very stable, with the same apt package tools as Ubuntu.
• Fedora or openSUSE: useful if you work with Red Hat or SUSE servers and want matching tools.
• Kali Linux: built for security testing, not everyday use.

Planning to stick with Ubuntu? Installing Ubuntu on Windows 11 covers choosing a release, the Store version and Ubuntu-specific setup in more depth.

Using Linux after installing

• Open it: select the distribution from the Start menu, or open Terminal and pick it from the drop-down arrow next to the tab. Typing wsl in PowerShell opens your default distribution.
• Reach Windows files from Linux: your C: drive appears at /mnt/c.
• Reach Linux files from Windows: select Linux in the File Explorer navigation pane, or type \\wsl$ in the address bar. From inside Linux, explorer.exe . (with the period) opens the current folder in File Explorer.
• Keep project files on the Linux side. Microsoft recommends storing files in the Linux file system (your home folder, such as /home/alex) when you work with Linux tools, because reading files across /mnt/c is slower.
• Run Linux apps with windows: Windows 11 supports Linux GUI apps through WSL 2. Install one with your distribution’s package manager and it appears in the Start menu under the distribution’s name. Microsoft notes this isn’t a full Linux desktop, and recommends current graphics drivers for hardware acceleration (see Run Linux GUI apps with WSL).

Handy WSL commands

Run these in Terminal or PowerShell, not inside Linux.

• wsl -l -v lists installed distributions, whether each is running, and whether it uses WSL 1 or WSL 2.
• wsl --set-version Ubuntu 2 converts an older WSL 1 distribution to WSL 2. Back up large projects first.
• wsl --set-default Debian changes which distribution opens when you type wsl.
• wsl --update updates WSL. wsl --shutdown stops every distribution and frees the memory WSL was using.
• wsl --export Ubuntu ubuntu-backup.tar saves a backup copy you can bring back later with wsl --import.

Method 2: Install Linux in a virtual machine

A virtual machine (VM) is a pretend computer that runs in a window. Linux installs onto a virtual disk file, so your Windows partitions are never touched.

1. Download a Linux ISO from the distribution’s own website, such as ubuntu.com, fedoraproject.org or linuxmint.com. An ISO is a single disc-image file of several gigabytes.
2. Pick a virtualization app. Oracle’s free VirtualBox works on every edition of Windows 11, and installing VirtualBox on Windows 11 takes a few minutes. Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise also include Hyper-V; Microsoft’s Hyper-V install page confirms it can’t be installed on Windows 11 Home.
3. Create a new VM. Give it at least 4 GB of memory, 2 CPU cores and a 25 GB or larger virtual disk, and point its virtual optical drive at the ISO. If your PC has 8 GB of RAM in total, don’t give the VM more than half.
4. Start the VM and follow the Linux installer. When it offers to erase the disk, that means the virtual disk only.
5. Install the guest tools (VirtualBox Guest Additions, or the integration services most distributions include) so the screen resizes with the window and copy and paste works between Windows and Linux.
6. Take a snapshot once everything works. If you break something later, you can roll back in seconds.

WSL and VirtualBox can run on the same PC. Microsoft’s WSL troubleshooting page says third-party hypervisors must be current (VirtualBox 6 or later) to work alongside WSL 2. If a VM feels slow while WSL or Hyper-V is turned on, give it more memory and CPU cores before anything else.

Method 3: Dual boot Windows 11 and Linux

Dual booting puts Linux on its own partition. Each time the PC starts, a menu lets you choose Linux or Windows. It’s the fastest way to run Linux, but it’s also the only method here that can cost you data if something goes wrong.

Read these warnings before you change anything:

• BitLocker or device encryption. If your Windows drive is encrypted, the Ubuntu installer can’t safely resize it. Canonical’s page on BitLocker during Ubuntu installation explains that the installer may stop until you turn BitLocker off, and warns that some Windows versions won’t let you turn it back on afterward. Either way, save your recovery key first: Microsoft’s find your BitLocker recovery key page lists where it’s stored, usually your Microsoft account at aka.ms/myrecoverykey.
• Back up everything you care about to an external drive or cloud storage.
• Don’t pick “Erase disk” in the installer unless you want to remove Windows completely.

1. Shrink the Windows partition. Right-click Start, select Disk Management, right-click your C: drive and choose Shrink Volume. Enter the amount to free in MB (51200 MB is 50 GB) and select Shrink. You’ll see a new block labeled Unallocated. Leave it empty.
2. Turn off Fast Startup so Windows fully releases the drive when it shuts down. The steps are in disabling Fast Startup in Windows 11.
3. Make a bootable USB drive. Use a flash drive of 12 GB or more (everything on it will be erased). Ubuntu’s install tutorial recommends balenaEtcher to write the ISO; copying the ISO file onto the drive doesn’t work.
4. Boot from the USB drive. Restart with the drive plugged in and open your PC’s boot menu, often with F12, F10, F2 or Esc during startup. Choose the USB drive.
5. Install alongside Windows. In the Ubuntu installer, choose Install Ubuntu alongside Windows Boot Manager (the wording varies by distribution), or choose manual partitioning and select the unallocated space. If the installer stops with a message about Intel RST, that storage setting has to be changed in UEFI before Linux can see the drive.
6. Restart and choose. A boot menu called GRUB appears with entries for Ubuntu and Windows Boot Manager.

Major distributions such as Ubuntu and Fedora are signed to start with Secure Boot turned on, so you generally don’t need to change it. For partitioning details and distributions other than Ubuntu, see dual booting Windows 11 and Linux.

How to tell it worked

• WSL: run wsl -l -v. Your distribution should be listed with 2 in the VERSION column. Inside Linux, cat /etc/os-release shows the distribution name and release.
• Virtual machine: the VM boots to the Linux login screen without the ISO attached.
• Dual boot: the GRUB menu appears at startup, and both Linux and Windows start from it.

How to remove Linux later

• WSL: run wsl --unregister followed by the distribution’s name. Microsoft warns this permanently deletes all data, settings and software in that distribution, so export anything you need first. Removing WSL itself is covered in uninstalling WSL in Windows 11.
• Virtual machine: delete the VM in VirtualBox or Hyper-V Manager and choose to delete its files, which removes the virtual disk.
• Dual boot: this needs care. Boot into Windows, set Windows Boot Manager first in the UEFI boot order, and only then delete the Linux partitions in Disk Management and extend C: into the freed space. Removing the Linux partitions while GRUB still starts the PC can leave it unable to boot until the boot order is fixed.

Troubleshooting

Error 0x80370102 or “a required feature is not installed”

Turn on virtualization in your UEFI (Intel VT-x or AMD SVM, usually under CPU options). Then open Turn Windows features on or off, check Virtual Machine Platform, select OK and restart. Very old processors without Second Level Address Translation (SLAT) can’t run WSL 2 at all.

Installation stuck at 0.0%

Microsoft suggests downloading the distribution directly instead of through the Store: run wsl --install --web-download -d Ubuntu (or another name from the list).

Error 0x8007019e

The Windows Subsystem for Linux feature is off. Check Windows Subsystem for Linux in Turn Windows features on or off, restart, and try again.

Linux can’t reach the internet

Run wsl --shutdown, then reopen your distribution. If you use a VPN, disconnect it and try again to see whether it’s interfering.

The PC starts straight into Windows after a dual-boot install

Open your PC’s boot menu or UEFI settings and move the Linux entry (often ubuntu) above Windows Boot Manager.

Windows asks for a BitLocker recovery key

Changes to boot settings can trigger BitLocker recovery. Enter the key you saved, or look it up at aka.ms/myrecoverykey from a phone or another computer. Finding your BitLocker recovery key in Windows 11 lists the other places it may be stored.

FAQs

Can I install Linux on Windows 11 Home?

Yes, with any of the three methods. Home lacks only Hyper-V, so use WSL or VirtualBox there; WSL’s own lightweight virtual machine doesn’t require Hyper-V Manager.

Will Linux delete my Windows files?

WSL and virtual machines keep Linux in its own files and don’t touch your Windows partitions. Dual booting does change your partitions, which is why the backup and recovery-key steps come first.

Does it cost anything?

No. WSL is part of Windows, VirtualBox is free, and Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora and Linux Mint are free to download and use.

Why is the clock wrong in Windows after I use Linux?

On dual-boot PCs, Windows and Linux can read the hardware clock differently, so the time may be off by your time-zone offset after switching. Turning on automatic time sync in Windows (Settings > Time & language > Date & time) usually corrects it within a minute.

I only want a Linux command line. Is WSL overkill?

No, WSL is the lightest real option. If you mostly want the Bash shell for scripts, getting Bash on Windows 11 explains how WSL and lighter alternatives compare.

Next step

Open your new distribution and run sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade (or your distribution’s equivalent) once a week or so. If WSL turns out to be all you need, you’re set; if you miss a full desktop, try the virtual machine method next before committing to a dual boot.