WSL2 distro can't start: the remote procedure call failed (build 20211)

[mcornella]

First of all, I've seen other issues similar to this one but none mentioned the error I get.

Environment

Windows build number: 20211
Your Distribution version: Ubuntu 20.04
Whether the issue is on WSL 2 and/or WSL 1: WSL2

• wsl --status:

Default Distribution: Ubuntu
Default Version: 2

Windows Subsystem for Linux was last updated on 04/09/2020
WSL automatic updates are on.
Kernel version: 4.19.128

• wsl -l -v:

  NAME      STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu    Stopped         2
  Alpine    Stopped         2

Steps to reproduce

1. Open cmd
2. Run wsl or wsl -d <Distribution> (both Ubuntu and Alpine fail)

WSL logs: https://aka.ms/AA9l9ap

Expected behavior

The distribution should start.

Actual behavior

The wsl command fails with the error The remote procedure call failed.. Windows Terminal additionally reports process exited with code 4294967295 (0xffffffff, -1).

Also I don't know if it's connected, but pings wouldn't work from inside WSL2 before this started happening, though dns resolution worked correctly Fixed this part using the first part of this solution.

More information

Things I've checked from other issues:

1. I don't have KB4571756 installed.
2. Services LxssManager and LxssManagerUser_871e1 were stopped. After starting them and running wsl, the same error happens and they go back to being stopped.
3. Stopping the Hyper-V service from Hyper-V Manager didn't fix it, and neither did restarting it.
4. Stopping the SharedAccess service only made it start again.
5. Disabling and enabling WSL didn't fix it either.
6. Running powershell as admin and starting wsl from there got me the same error.

I haven't tried:

• Rolling back to 20206, but I don't want to if at all possible. Plus, if there's an issue with 20211, I want to have it so that a fix can be tested in my machine.

[licanhua]

Possible dup of #5902

[mcornella]

Yep, I just thought it would be worth documenting, plus many of the error messages in that issue are different. I think that issue is a megathread of many different problems that all have the similarity of closing with error code 4294967295 (0xffffffff, -1), so it might be a good idea to split it based on the real underlying problem. Feel free to close it as dup though!

[sashizaki]

same +1

[genby]

+1

[mcornella]

Alright after a day without WSL I gave in and rolled back to build 20206 and the thing works again. There's something wrong with 20211.

[klimelau]

Alright after a day without WSL I gave in and rolled back to build 20206 and the thing works again. There's something wrong with 20211.

Could you explain how I can do that? Need WSL urgently

[mcornella]

You should have the option Go back to the previous version of Windows 10 available:

[jin8495]

same +1

[faymek]

Microsoft has acknowledged that this is an error in KB4571756. See workaround on this thread in response by @alexpaluzzi. If you aren't OCD like me and don't clean up your disk every five hours you shodul be able to find an older copy of the file. Luckily I had one on another laptop,

What if I have C:\Windows\System32\VmSynthNic.dll with 389KB and C:\Windows.old\WINDOWS\System32\VmSynthNic.dll with 398KB. Not missing, but changed.

[comzyh]

Microsoft has acknowledged that this is an error in KB4571756. See workaround on this thread in response by @alexpaluzzi. If you aren't OCD like me and don't clean up your disk every five hours you shodul be able to find an older copy of the file. Luckily I had one on another laptop,

I think this is a solution to a different issue. In build 20211, I do have C:\Windows\System32\VmSynthNic.dll in place. And I tried to reregister this dll and reboot, the problem doesn't get resolved.

[Cherry-Ran]

the same to you!

[onomatopellan]

Microsoft has acknowledged that this is an error in KB4571756. See workaround on this thread in response by @alexpaluzzi. If you aren't OCD like me and don't clean up your disk every five hours you shodul be able to find an older copy of the file. Luckily I had one on another laptop,

No. That update KB4571756 is a problem for people in build 19041 or 19042. This thread is for users that are running latest Windows 10 Insider Dev build which is build 20211 and has nothing to do with KB4571756.

[moonheart]

WSL1 encountered the same problem.

[bbongcol]

same +1

[zergvszerg]

same +1

[machalvan]

same +1

[laurentschoonbrodt]

same +1

[kozmats]

same +1

[mcornella]

You can +1 the initial post, commenting +1 only introduces noise.

[efim-a-efim]

Same here, solved by following this instructions

[haosmos]

Same here, solved by following this instructions

@efim-a-efim, tell me, please, do you have build 20211 (x64) and wsl 2?

Did you save the vmsynthnic.dll file that was used in the build 20206 and then register it in the build 20211?

And everything works?

[keremnymn]

Same here, using Ubuntu 20.04 LTS.

[laoshancun]

Same issue.

[phpdev-m]

same +1

[peter-jerry-ye]

Even when running wsl or wsl -l or wsl --shutdown in powershell, it will hang

[s8186255]

same+1

[ThreshHNS]

@onomatopellan , @chdenat , thanks for your reply. Are there any temporary solutions to solve this problem or how can I access the files in the distribution. I can't open Ubuntu folder via explorer because of this error.

[chdenat]

the only workaround is to rollback :(

[craigloewen-msft]

I can confirm that the fix will be available within the next couple of weeks. The fix is checked in and it needs to go through the regular process to head out to Windows Insiders. Thank you!

[xdrew]

I'm on 20221 now and the most recent "OK" build is 20206. Could anyone tell me how to rollback to that exact version without loosing my licence? Thanks!

[chdenat]

I'm on 20221 now and the most recent "OK" build is 20206. Could anyone tell me how to rollback to that exact version without loosing my licence? Thanks!

Check this : https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_update-insiderplat_pc/insider-build-18947-information-and-how-to/3c371d12-e61b-4152-93e9-0975a2643208

[yihua1218]

Rolling back not works for me, can I reinstall the whole Windows 10 to fix it? Or back to use WSL version 1?

[phpdev-m]

ver have fixed, thank MS

[xdrew]

Check this : https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/insider/forum/insider_wintp-insider_update-insiderplat_pc/insider-build-18947-information-and-how-to/3c371d12-e61b-4152-93e9-0975a2643208

Thanks! Checked this.
But it only allows rolling back to the previous installed build. In my case 20215. After this, the Get started button is disabled.

So the only way I see is a clean install, but I need my wsl files(

[hwl985]

Hope MS can fix it. I won't losing my files. 20221,recovery can't get started.

[albertlian]

+1

[xdrew]

Ok, I got my files back from wsl, but it's not the perfect solution.
Just took the ext4.vhdx file here c:\Users<username>\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_\LocalState
Stopped wsl on target pc.
And then moved the file to that pc with ok build, found similar folder there and replaced original vhdx with the desired one.
Wsl started normally. I have same ubuntu versions on both pc. Not sure if it is a required condition.

[DonGuych]

Not fixed in 20221 build

And also, WSL 2 AND 1 are broken, not only WSL 2 ...

[ThreshHNS]

Ok, I got my files back from wsl, but it's not the perfect solution.
Just took the ext4.vhdx file here c:\Users\AppData\Local\Packages\CanonicalGroupLimited.UbuntuonWindows_\LocalState
Stopped wsl on target pc.
And then moved the file to that pc with ok build, found similar folder there and replaced original vhdx with the desired one.
Wsl started normally. I have same ubuntu versions on both pc. Not sure if it is a required condition.

Thank you! You saved my deadlines 🥇

[chdenat]

Not fixed in 20221 build

And also, WSL 2 AND 1 are broken, not only WSL 2 ...

Check the thread... It will ve fixed in a couple of weeks. N
There is no WSL changes in the last release.

2 options :
wait or try to rollback
If you rollback, so do not forget to block updates temporarily amd wait for a new release with the fix.

[Dutch77]

Not fixed in 20221 build
And also, WSL 2 AND 1 are broken, not only WSL 2 ...

Check the thread... It will ve fixed in a couple of weeks. N
There is no WSL changes in the last release.

2 options :
wait or try to rollback
If you rollback, so do not forget to block updates temporarily amd wait for a new release with the fix.

I really, really hope it will be sooner, because there is no option to rollback two builds back.
Is there a way to install 20206 without loosing files?

[chdenat]

@Dutch77 , did not check it, but you can download previous builds iso here : https://docs.microsoft.com/fr-fr/windows-insider/flight-hub/ (in kit column)

[Dutch77]

@chdenat It won't let you keep files. All you can do is a clean install. Already tried that :/

[chdenat]

@chdenat It won't let you keep files. All you can do is a clean install. Already tried that :/

What kind of files ? AFAIK it's a windows iso and installing it does not affect your files nor WSL distro.
But you can export, by security, your distros to restore later if needed

[anarinsk]

This issue is fixed with build 20226 for WSL 2 + Ubuntu 20.04 distro. Thanks for the effort.

[FengYong07]

This issue is fixed with build 20226 for WSL 2 + Ubuntu 20.04 distro. Thanks for the effort.

Does it work in build 20226 for WSL 2 + Ubuntu 18.04 distro? Everytime after updating my windows 10 in Dev, I got new problems. That was nasty.

[BlackDragonBE]

If anyone stumbles upon this page years later and has the same issue, simply kill all processes that start with "wsl" and try again.

[mrtcmn]

If anyone stumbles upon this page years later and has the same issue, simply kill all processes that start with "wsl" and try again.

It's worked. But why :)

[arfans22]

I'm facing the same issue on my windows 11, doing wsl --update works for me!👍🏾