Windows Subsystem for Linux 2

Answer: WSL 2 is available on supported Windows 10 and Windows 11 editions, including Home. It requires the Virtual Machine Platform components and hardware virtualization, but it does not require the Windows Pro-only Hyper-V management feature.

Administrator playbook

Decide, verify, and document

Use the curated answer as a starting point, then prove the outcome against the target tenant or device.

What it means

WSL 2 uses a real Linux kernel in a lightweight managed virtual machine
Windows Home can run WSL 2 even though it cannot act as a Client Hyper-V host
The Store-delivered WSL package can update independently from the Windows operating system

What to check next

Confirm hardware virtualization is enabled and the Windows build is supported
Run wsl --status and wsl --version to distinguish the WSL package from the distribution state
Review proxy, DNS, firewall, and virtualization policy when networking or installation fails

Verify success

Confirm the feature is present or enabled on the target edition and build.
Test the intended workflow with a pilot device and least-privileged user.
Confirm policy reports success from the actual management authority.

Escalate when

The documented edition and hardware requirements are met but the feature is absent.
Policy reports success while the user or device state is incorrect.
Licensing or OEM terms—not technical prerequisites—control the outcome.

Copyable admin briefAnswer, next checks, source, and review date

Capture edition and build

Get-ComputerInfo | Select-Object WindowsProductName,WindowsVersion,OsBuildNumber,OsArchitecture

Read-only. Edition and exact build often control availability.

List optional feature state

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online | Where-Object State -ne "Disabled" | Select-Object FeatureName,State

Read-only. Not every Windows capability is represented as an optional feature.

Evidence to preserve

Windows edition, version, and build
Hardware and firmware prerequisites
Management authority and policy source
Required user or device experience

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