"WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x8004030b Error: 0x8004030b (null)" While installing WSL1 distros

[ariasaltis]

Windows Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22631.3737]

WSL Version

2.4.11.0

Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

No response

Distro Version

Ubuntu 16.04

Other Software

No response

Repro Steps

Downloaded and installed Ubuntu 16.04 appx
Following error after trying to run the program:
Installing, this may take a few minutes...
WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x8004030b
Error: 0x8004030b (null)
Press any key to continue...

Expected Behavior

Successful installation

Actual Behavior

WslRegisterDistribution failed with error: 0x8004030b
Error: 0x8004030b (null)
Press any key to continue...

Diagnostic Logs

WslLogs-2025-02-25_21-47-34.zip

[github-actions]

Diagnostic information

Detected appx version: 2.4.11.0

[OneBlue]

Thank you for reporting this @ariasaltis. This could be because you're out of space, but let's try something different.

Inside the .appx, there's a install.tar.gz file. Can you try to run wsl --install --from-file /path/to/install.gz --name my-distro and there the output of that command ?

(you can see the content of an .appx file by just renaming it to .zip)

[ariasaltis]

Thank you so much! Your solution worked great!

Feel free to ask me if you needed any logs/diagnostics to fix the problem with the appx ones. @OneBlue

[ariasaltis]

Ok I have more info, it seems like this happens whenever I try to install a distro in a disk other than C:\