tag

#vhdx

3 posts

WSLDeep Dive July 11, 2026 2 min read

How WSL2's Virtual Disk Actually Grows (and Why It Won't Shrink on Its Own)

Each WSL2 distro's filesystem lives inside a dynamically-expanding .vhdx file on your Windows drive. It grows automatically as you use it — but deleting files inside WSL doesn't shrink it back down, and that's expected, not a bug.

#deep-dive#wsl2#disk

WSLFix July 11, 2026 3 min read

Fixing a WSL2 Virtual Disk That Won't Shrink After Deleting Files

You deleted gigabytes of files inside a WSL distro, but your Windows C: drive shows no space freed up at all. This is expected dynamic-VHD behavior, not a bug — and it has a specific, direct fix.

#fix#wsl2#disk-space

WSLHow-To July 11, 2026 2 min read

How to Compact a WSL2 Virtual Disk to Reclaim Disk Space

A complete walkthrough shrinking a WSL2 distro's .vhdx file back down after deleting large amounts of data — the specific diskpart steps that actually reclaim the space Windows doesn't release automatically.

#howto#wsl2#disk-space