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Created March 16, 2025 17:25
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New VHDX attach to WSL2
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new-data-vhdx-wsl2.md

Creating and Maintaining a VHDX Drive in WSL

This guide explains how to create, mount, and maintain a VHDX drive for use with WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

Prerequisites

  • Windows 10/11 with WSL2 installed
  • Administrative access
  • PowerShell
  • Sufficient disk space

Creating the VHDX

  1. First, check existing devices in your WSL distribution:
ls /dev/sd* -la
  1. Create the VHDX file in PowerShell (run as Administrator):
New-VHD -Path "Z:\Disks\wsl-ubuntu-2404\data_disk.vhdx" -SizeBytes 500GB -Dynamic
wsl --mount --vhd "Z:\Disks\wsl-ubuntu-2404\data_disk.vhdx" --bare

Setting Up the Drive in WSL

  1. Identify the new device:
ls /dev/sd* -la

Note: Compare with the previous listing to identify the new device (e.g., /dev/sdd)

  1. Create a mount point:
sudo mkdir /mnt/data
  1. Initialize the disk using fdisk:
sudo fdisk /dev/sdX  # Replace X with your disk letter

Enter these commands in sequence:

  • n (new partition)
  • p (primary partition)
  • 1 (partition number)
  • Enter (default first sector)
  • Enter (default last sector)
  • w (write changes)
  1. Format the partition:
sudo mkfs.ext4 /dev/sdX1  # Replace X with your disk letter

Configuring Persistent Mounting

  1. Get the partition UUID:
sudo blkid
  1. Mount the partition:
sudo mount UUID="YOUR-UUID" /mnt/data
  1. Add to /etc/fstab:
echo 'UUID="YOUR-UUID" /mnt/data ext4 defaults 0 0' | sudo tee -a /etc/fstab
  1. Configure WSL automount by adding to /etc/wsl.conf:
sudo tee -a /etc/wsl.conf << EOF
[automount]
enabled=true
mountFsTab=true
EOF

Automatic Mounting on Windows Startup and WSL Shutdown/Restart

  1. Create a startup script (mount-wsl-vhdx.bat):
wsl --mount --vhd "Z:\Disks\wsl-ubuntu-2404\data_disk.vhdx" --bare
  1. Create a scheduled task:
  • Open Task Scheduler
  • Create a new task with these triggers:
    • At system startup
    • On event: Log: Microsoft-Windows-Hyper-V-Worker/Admin
      • Source: Hyper-V-Worker
      • Event ID: 18500

This ensures the disk is mounted when:

  • Windows starts
  • WSL restarts after shutdown
  • Any Hyper-V VM starts
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