Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/CreateVm/HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT

[piggy2011]

Windows Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22621.1702]

WSL Version

1.2.5.0

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

5.15.90.1

Distro Version

kali-linux 2023.2

Other Software

No response

Repro Steps

To access USB Storage Device on WSL2, I follow the instruction https://github.com/jovton/USB-Storage-on-WSL2/blob/master/README.md . I create the file ".wslconfig" on my Windows host's "Users\your-user-name" folder and the content is as below

[wsl2]
kernel=C:\\Users\\XXX YY ZZZ\\bzImage
swap=0
localhostForwarding=true

After executing the command "wsl --shutdown" and "wsl", the system displays the following message.

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> wsl
The operation timed out because a response was not received from the virtual machine or container.
Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/CreateVm/HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT

I modify the content of the file ".wslconfig" as below.

[wsl2]
kernel=C:\Users\XXX YY ZZZ\bzImage
swap=0
localhostForwarding=true

It seems well but there is also a line message shown.
wsl: Invalid escaped character: 'U' in C:\Users\XXX YY ZZZ.wslconfig:2
I am not sure if " kernel=C:\Users\XXX YY ZZZ\bzImage" is correct. Would you pls give the comments? Thanks!

Expected Behavior

No error messages are shown after executing the command "wsl".

Actual Behavior

Error code: Wsl/Service/CreateInstance/CreateVm/HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT

and

wsl: Invalid escaped character: 'U' in C:\Users\XXX YY ZZZ.wslconfig:2

Diagnostic Logs

No response

[elsaco]

@piggy2011 user \\ instead for kernel path, like kernel=C:\\Users\\XXX YY ZZZ\\bzImage Also, if your username contains spaces, need to be escaped.

[piggy2011]

@piggy2011 user \\ instead for kernel path, like kernel=C:\\Users\\XXX YY ZZZ\\bzImage Also, if your username contains spaces, need to be escaped.

Hi, my username contains spaces. How to escape spaces in defining kernel path? Thanks!

[piggy2011]

@piggy2011 user \\ instead for kernel path, like kernel=C:\\Users\\XXX YY ZZZ\\bzImage Also, if your username contains spaces, need to be escaped.

To specify a path with spaces in the .wslconfig file for WSL2, I use double quotes to enclose the path. kernel="C:\Users\XXX YY ZZZ\bzImage"
Now, the problem is solved.