Free up space (effortlessly) on WSL2
8 days ago
- #PowerShell
- #Disk Management
- #WSL
- Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) allows running a Linux environment directly on Windows, useful for web development.
- WSL uses virtual hard disks (VHDX files) that do not automatically free up unused space, leading to inefficient storage.
- Manual compaction of WSL virtual hard disks involves checking WSL version, locating VHDX files, shutting down WSL, and using DiskPart to compact the disk.
- Automation via a PowerShell script simplifies the compaction process by detecting WSL distributions, selecting one, and compacting its VHDX file.
- The script includes steps for verifying WSL distributions, locating VHDX files, shutting down WSL, and compacting the disk with DiskPart.
- Regular maintenance, either manual or automated, is recommended to prevent unnecessary disk space usage in WSL.