\\wsl$\Ubuntu is not accessible anymore from File Explorer

Solution 1:

I know I sound like a broken record (since I commented on your Stack Overflow question), but do not under any circumstances attempt to access WSL1 files through ..\LocalState\rootfs\. It can cause corruption.

As for the Explorer integration, it sounds a lot like this issue. There seem to be two possible solutions:

• For some, just turning off and back on "Windows Subsystem for Linux" in Optional Features seems to do the trick. Your existing Ubuntu instance should be fine, but you may want to back it up via wsl --export Ubuntu Ubuntu_backup.tar first, just in case.

  You'll definitely need to apply the changes -- Just ticking the WSL checkbox on-and-off, of course, won't work.

• If the "easy way" doesn't work, then check the registry entries as recommended in that Github issue:

  # HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\ProviderOrder
  # HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\Order
  # HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\NetworkProvider\HwOrder
  

  If you see P9NP (the Plan 9 Network Provider) in the first registry entry (ProviderOrder), but not in the latter two, then edit the Order and HWOrder entries to include it as the first item in the comma-separated list.

  A reboot might be required.