'WSL2 is not supported' error on Azure DevOps Agent windows-2025

[dawidwozny]

Description

I am getting error on Azure Devops agent windows-2025 which should support WSL2. Running wsl --install Ubuntu returns: *WSL2 is not supported with your current machine configuration. Please enable the "Virtual Machine Platform" optional component and ensure virtualization is enabled in the BIOS. *

The same command works on GitHub Runner windows-2025.
Sample pipeline with error: https://github.com/dawidwozny/ms-hosted-windows-2025/blob/main/azure-pipelines.yml

Platforms affected

• Azure DevOps
• GitHub Actions - Standard Runners
• GitHub Actions - Larger Runners

Runner images affected

• Ubuntu 20.04
• Ubuntu 22.04
• Ubuntu 24.04
• macOS 13
• macOS 13 Arm64
• macOS 14
• macOS 14 Arm64
• macOS 15
• macOS 15 Arm64
• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2022
• Windows Server 2025

Image version and build link

Azure Devops Agent Version: 20250309.1.0

Is it regression?

no

Expected behavior

Distribution should be installed as it happens on GitHub runner.
Link to working pipeline using GitHub Actions: https://github.com/dawidwozny/ms-hosted-windows-2025/blob/main/.github/workflows/main.yml

Actual behavior

Throwing error:

WSL2 is not supported with your current machine configuration.

Please enable the "Virtual Machine Platform" optional component and ensure virtualization is enabled in the BIOS.

Enable "Virtual Machine Platform" by running: wsl.exe --install --no-distribution

For information please visit https://aka.ms/enablevirtualization

Error code: Wsl/InstallDistro/Service/RegisterDistro/CreateVm/HCS/HCS_E_HYPERV_NOT_INSTALLED

Repro steps

Run publicly available pipeline: https://github.com/dawidwozny/ms-hosted-windows-2025/blob/main/azure-pipelines.yml

[Prabhatkumar59]

Hi @dawidwozny - Thank you for bringing this issue to our attention. We will look into this issue and will update you after investigating.


[Prabhatkumar59]

Hi @dawidwozny - In meantime, could you please provide your failed build link for windows-2025 which throws error related to WSL2 so that we can debug more into this. Thanks.

[dawidwozny]

@Prabhatkumar59 Thanks for taking care of it. I have initially tried that in pipeline under private Azure Devops Project so can't send the link. I have just tried that in newly created Public public project but run out of free minutes on it so won't be able to send for the next week. The pipeline is in public GitHub repo so it should be able to just run it in Azure Devops.

[dawidwozny]

Attached logs: logs_1127.zip

[afscrome]

Azure devops hosted agents are documented to run on Standard_DS2_v2 vms1. These VMs don't support nested virtualization2. I believe WSL2 will require a machine that supports nested virtualization.

You may need to look at running your own agents or using Managed Devops Pools3 .

[dawidwozny]

@afscrome since this works on GitHub Action runner windows-2025 https://github.com/dawidwozny/ms-hosted-windows-2025/actions/runs/14041804947 are you suggesting that I can run nested virtualisation on GitHub runner?

[Prabhatkumar59]

Hi @dawidwozny - Thanks for your input, i will check more into this and will update you accordingly.