microsoft / microsoft/WSL

WSL2 regularly crashes on waking up from sleep

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Description

### Windows Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26200.7623]

### WSL Version

2.6.3.0

### Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

- [x] WSL 2
- [ ] WSL 1

### Kernel Version

6.6.87.2-1

### Distro Version

Ubuntu 24.04

### Other Software

Version: 1.109.2 (user setup)
Commit: 591199df409fbf59b4b52d5ad4ee0470152a9b31
Date: 2026-02-10T20:18:23.520Z
Electron: 39.3.0
ElectronBuildId: 13168319
Chromium: 142.0.7444.265
Node.js: 22.21.1
V8: 14.2.231.22-electron.0
OS: Windows_NT x64 10.0.26200

### Repro Steps

A regular regression issue, not a random crash.
Reproduces once in ~4 days.
I close the laptop at the end of the working day.
Once opening it back the next day, VSCode can't connect and asks to reload the window, which doesn't help.
On connecting to WSL through Windows Terminal, it returns Catastrophic failure Error code: Wsl/Service/E_UNEXPECTED.
wsl --shutdown is the workaround that helps.

### Expected Behavior

WSL never crashes.
This issue is really annoying, seems like there's no sense in developing under Windows - the environment is too unstable.

### Actual Behavior

VSCode can't connect and asks to reload the window, which doesn't help.
On connecting to WSL through Windows Terminal, it returns Catastrophic failure Error code: Wsl/Service/E_UNEXPECTED.
wsl --shutdown is the workaround that helps.

### Diagnostic Logs

Attached to comment: https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/14193#issuecomment-4022157917

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with the diagnostic logs attached in the linked issue comment, then reproduce the failure by waking the laptop and connecting through VS Code or Windows Terminal. Compare the failed state with the wsl --shutdown workaround; done means WSL reconnects after waking without Wsl/Service/E_UNEXPECTED.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
vscode
Domain
devtools, operating-systems
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Quiet
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
25/100

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