Cannot use Explorer integration with latest Windows 10 build

[rbywater]

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Please fill out the below information:

• Your Windows build number: (Type ver at a Windows Command Prompt)

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.18362.116]

• What you're doing and what's happening: (Copy&paste the full set of specific command-line steps necessary to reproduce the behavior, and their output. Include screen shots if that helps demonstrate the problem.)

Just updated to latest Windows 10 build and was trying to use explorer.exe . from Ubuntu 18.04 start menu. Running this command does not produce any errors but it also doesn't bring up Windows Explorer with the Linux filesystem on it (it doesn't bring up any Windows explorer at all).

Also tried with a dir \\wsl$\Ubuntu but this gives a dir : Cannot find path '\\wsl$\Ubuntu' because it does not exist. error.

Note doing a explorer.exe . when in a mounted Windows drive directory (e.g. /mnt/c/Users) does work

• What's wrong / what should be happening instead:

Windows Explorer should open with the Linux filesystem showing

[XerTheSquirrel]

This worked for me as well, but then once I re-installed and setup my WSL environment I am unable to do this as well and it is broken.

However I managed to get the /mnt/c/windows/explorer.exe . working again (which points to my home directory, via the 9P share). I had services running in the background (such as cron and sshd), to which I did a kill -9 on every running Linux process then got the stragglers killed via Windows Task Manager. After doing this the Explorer integration worked.

I will note that I run a startup script as an automated startup task when my system starts to launch ssh and such. I have also observed that doing it this way might cause the 9P share to write files as root instead of your user.

[xtremeperf]

I've noticed the same issue when I have background services running. Not sure if it has anything to do with the automated task that starts them upon login, but I have noticed killing the services restores explorer.exe/9P functionality.

[benhillis]

@xtremeperf - that is a good point. How are you launching the tasks? Task scheduler? Can you share an exported task?

[rbywater]

I can confirm that it does indeed appear to be caused by automated startup tasks or similar. I had a Minecraft server that was set in Task Scheduler to run at startup. I disabled, rebooted, and now the explorer.exe . correctly shows the Linux filesystem in Explorer.

Here's an export of the task for your information:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-16"?>
<Task version="1.4" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/windows/2004/02/mit/task">
  <RegistrationInfo>
    <Date>2018-12-10T21:18:07.4619553</Date>
    <Author>VOXY\Richard</Author>
    <URI>\Run Minecraft Server</URI>
  </RegistrationInfo>
  <Triggers>
    <BootTrigger>
      <Enabled>true</Enabled>
    </BootTrigger>
  </Triggers>
  <Principals>
    <Principal id="Author">
      <UserId>redacted</UserId>
      <LogonType>Password</LogonType>
      <RunLevel>LeastPrivilege</RunLevel>
    </Principal>
  </Principals>
  <Settings>
    <MultipleInstancesPolicy>IgnoreNew</MultipleInstancesPolicy>
    <DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>true</DisallowStartIfOnBatteries>
    <StopIfGoingOnBatteries>true</StopIfGoingOnBatteries>
    <AllowHardTerminate>false</AllowHardTerminate>
    <StartWhenAvailable>false</StartWhenAvailable>
    <RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>false</RunOnlyIfNetworkAvailable>
    <IdleSettings>
      <StopOnIdleEnd>true</StopOnIdleEnd>
      <RestartOnIdle>false</RestartOnIdle>
    </IdleSettings>
    <AllowStartOnDemand>true</AllowStartOnDemand>
    <Enabled>false</Enabled>
    <Hidden>false</Hidden>
    <RunOnlyIfIdle>false</RunOnlyIfIdle>
    <DisallowStartOnRemoteAppSession>false</DisallowStartOnRemoteAppSession>
    <UseUnifiedSchedulingEngine>true</UseUnifiedSchedulingEngine>
    <WakeToRun>false</WakeToRun>
    <ExecutionTimeLimit>PT0S</ExecutionTimeLimit>
    <Priority>7</Priority>
  </Settings>
  <Actions Context="Author">
    <Exec>
      <Command>C:\dev\runminecraft.cmd</Command>
    </Exec>
  </Actions>
</Task>

and contents of CMD file

wsl tmux new-session -s minecraft ~/bedrock/runbedrock.sh

[benhillis]

Adding @SvenGroot.

[SvenGroot]

Looking into this, and it's a bug because the user context of the task is different than that of your interactive session. I'm working on a fix.

[aptalca]

Just to add further info, I'm on 1903 on a Surface Pro 3. I have Ubuntu and Debian running, the Debian one is a fresh new install.

In powershell, I can do cd \\wsl$\Debian and can access all linux files.
But File Explorer is unable to access those locations. I tried:

1. In Debian console explorer.exe . and it opens This PC > Documents
2. In powershell while browsing Debian user's home folder explorer.exe . and it opens This PC > Documents
3. In File Explorer, go to \\wsl$\Debian, Windows cannot access \\wsl$\Debian

EDIT: This post provided the correct workaround for me: #4027 (comment)
Thanks

[SvenDowideit]

I modified the registry keys mentioned in #4027 (comment) and suddenly (presumably for the reasons listed) explorer based access works for me :)

[mpilgrem]

I had the same problem today, and the registry key workaround at #4027 (comment) fixed it. Today, I had upgraded to Windows 10 version 2004 (OS Build 19041.329) via Windows Update, followed Microsoft's instructions for WSL 2 (including 'WSL 2 requires an update to its kernel component.'), and installed 'Ubuntu' from the Microsoft Store. explorer.exe . (at ~) did not behave as expected until the fix.

[microsoft-github-policy-service]

This issue has been automatically closed since it has not had any activity for the past year. If you're still experiencing this issue please re-file this as a new issue or feature request.

Thank you!