how-to-repair-a-vhd-mounting-error? the tutorial not work at all!

[ethever]

Windows Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19044.2965]

WSL Version

WSL version: 1.2.5.0 Kernel version: 5.15.90.1 WSLg version: 1.0.51 MSRDC version: 1.2.3770 Direct3D version: 1.608.2-61064218 DXCore version: 10.0.25131.1002-220531-1700.rs-onecore-base2-hyp Windows version: 10.0.19044.2965

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

Linux version 5.15.90.1-microsoft-standard-WSL2 (oe-user@oe-host) (x86_64-msft-linux-gcc (GCC) 9.3.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils) 2.34.0.20200220) #1 SMP Fri Jan 27 02:56:13 UTC 2023

Distro Version

Debian

Other Software

non

Repro Steps

visit and try https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/disk-space#how-to-repair-a-vhd-mounting-error.

Expected Behavior

should repaired

Actual Behavior

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --shutdown
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl.exe --mount .\ext4.vhdx --vhd --bare
The operation completed successfully.
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl.exe sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
Failed to attach disk 'F:\wsl\Debian\ext4.vhdx' to WSL2: 另一个程序正在使用此文件，进程无法访问。
Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/MountVhd/0x80070020
PS F:\wsl\Debian>

Diagnostic Logs

Why ?

[ethever]

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl.exe sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
An error occurred mounting the distribution disk, it was mounted read-only as a fallback.
See recovery instructions on: https://aka.ms/wsldiskmountrecovery
e2fsck 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021)
/dev/sdc is in use.
e2fsck: Cannot continue, aborting.

[ethever]

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --shutdown
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
An error occurred mounting the distribution disk, it was mounted read-only as a fallback.
See recovery instructions on: https://aka.ms/wsldiskmountrecovery
e2fsck 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021)
/dev/sdc is in use.
e2fsck: Cannot continue, aborting.

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --shutdown
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sda
An error occurred mounting the distribution disk, it was mounted read-only as a fallback.
See recovery instructions on: https://aka.ms/wsldiskmountrecovery
e2fsck 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021)
/dev/sda is in use.
e2fsck: Cannot continue, aborting.

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --shutdown
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdb
An error occurred mounting the distribution disk, it was mounted read-only as a fallback.
See recovery instructions on: https://aka.ms/wsldiskmountrecovery
e2fsck 1.46.2 (28-Feb-2021)
/dev/sdb is mounted.
e2fsck: Cannot continue, aborting.

[ethever]

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --shutdown
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --mount .\ext4.vhdx --vhd --bare
The operation completed successfully.
PS F:\wsl\Debian>
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdb
Failed to attach disk 'F:\wsl\Debian\ext4.vhdx' to WSL2: 另一个程序正在使用此文件，进程无法访问。
Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/MountVhd/0x80070020
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --shutdown
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --mount .\ext4.vhdx --vhd --bare
The operation completed successfully.
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
Failed to attach disk 'F:\wsl\Debian\ext4.vhdx' to WSL2: 另一个程序正在使用此文件，进程无法访问。
Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/MountVhd/0x80070020

[ethever]

(base) root@DESKTOP-D2P8H7D:/mnt/f/wsl/Debian# lsblk
NAME MAJ:MIN RM SIZE RO TYPE MOUNTPOINT
sda 8:0 0 363.3M 1 disk
sdb 8:16 0 3G 0 disk [SWAP]
sdc 8:32 0 256G 0 disk

[EngineerReversed]

Facing the same error and I can't access my WSL2 terminal.
Error:

Failed to attach disk 'D:\Ubuntu_20.04_LTS\ext4.vhdx' to WSL2: The requested operation could not be completed due to a file system limitation
Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/MountVhd/0x80070299"

I had to unregister and install ubuntu distribution again to solve the problem. I lost all of my ssh keys(to access servers), vpn configurations etc.
I don't know if it was because of the pre-release version or recent windows updates which broke it.

[ethever]

unregister will lost all my data in the distribution. I have some important data in it.

[elsaco]

@ethever the error message is obivous Another program is using this file and the process cannot access it. You already mounted Debian vhd and wsl.exe sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdc is trying to mount it again. Is Debian your default distro?

You could use the system distro or another after mounting Debian's vhd. Here's sample run using the system distro:

PS E:\> wsl --mount e:\fedora\ext4.vhdx --vhd --bare
The operation completed successfully.
PS E:\> wsl --system -u root e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
e2fsck 1.46.5 (30-Dec-2021)
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
/dev/sdc: 24973/67108864 files (0.3% non-contiguous), 4959752/268435456 blocks

Make sure you specify the root user otherwise you'll be greeted by:

PS E:\> wsl --system e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
e2fsck 1.46.5 (30-Dec-2021)
e2fsck: Permission denied while trying to open /dev/sdc
You must have r/w access to the filesystem or be root

[ethever]

@ethever the error message is obivous Another program is using this file and the process cannot access it. You already mounted Debian vhd and wsl.exe sudo e2fsck -f /dev/sdc is trying to mount it again. Is Debian your default distro?

You could use the system distro or another after mounting Debian's vhd. Here's sample run using the system distro:

PS E:\> wsl --mount e:\fedora\ext4.vhdx --vhd --bare
The operation completed successfully.
PS E:\> wsl --system -u root e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
e2fsck 1.46.5 (30-Dec-2021)
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 5: Checking group summary information
/dev/sdc: 24973/67108864 files (0.3% non-contiguous), 4959752/268435456 blocks

Make sure you specify the root user otherwise you'll be greeted by:

PS E:\> wsl --system e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
e2fsck 1.46.5 (30-Dec-2021)
e2fsck: Permission denied while trying to open /dev/sdc
You must have r/w access to the filesystem or be root

Debian is my default distribution:

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --list
Windows Subsystem for Linux Distributions:
Debian (Default)
Ubuntu
docker-desktop-data
docker-desktop

wsl --system -u root e2fsck -f /dev/sdc not work for the same error:

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --shutdown
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --list
Windows Subsystem for Linux Distributions:
Debian (Default)
Ubuntu
docker-desktop-data
docker-desktop
PS F:\wsl\Debian>
PS F:\wsl\Debian>
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --mount .\ext4.vhdx --vhd --bare
The operation completed successfully.
PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl --system -u root e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
Failed to attach disk 'F:\wsl\Debian\ext4.vhdx' to WSL2: 另一个程序正在使用此文件，进程无法访问。
Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/MountVhd/0x80070020
PS F:\wsl\Debian> 

But i try it using Ubuntu instread of system distri and it works:

PS F:\wsl\Debian> wsl -d Ubuntu -u root e2fsck -f /dev/sdc
e2fsck 1.46.5 (30-Dec-2021)
/dev/sdc: recovering journal
Pass 1: Checking inodes, blocks, and sizes
Inode 501800 extent tree (at level 1) could be shorter.  Optimize<y>? yes

Inode 1056183 extent tree (at level 1) could be shorter.  Optimize<y>? yes
Inode 1955138 extent tree (at level 1) could be shorter.  Optimize<y>? yes

Inode 3313721 extent tree (at level 1) could be shorter.  Optimize<y>? yes
Inode 3349709 extent tree (at level 1) could be shorter.  Optimize<y>? yes
Pass 1E: Optimizing extent trees
Pass 2: Checking directory structure
Pass 3: Checking directory connectivity
Pass 4: Checking reference counts
Pass 5: Checking group summary information

/dev/sdc: ***** FILE SYSTEM WAS MODIFIED *****
/dev/sdc: 3516340/16777216 files (0.2% non-contiguous), 67104763/67108864 blocks

[ethever]

wsl --system -u root e2fsck -f /dev/sdc

Extremely appriciate this.

[rikrdo89]

This worked for me! thanks for posting this. I just would add that after e2fsck is completed successfully, unmount the vhd using wsl.exe --unmount and you are ready to have your wsl2 working again.