Personalization Add or Remove Linux in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Linux in the navigation pane of File Explorer for your account in Windows 11.

The Windows Subsystem for Linux lets developers run a GNU/Linux environment -- including most command-line tools, utilities, and applications -- directly on Windows, unmodified, without the overhead of a traditional virtual machine or dualboot setup.

WSL 2 is a new version of the Windows Subsystem for Linux architecture that powers the Windows Subsystem for Linux to run ELF64 Linux binaries on Windows. Its primary goals are to increase file system performance, as well as adding full system call compatibility. This new architecture changes how these Linux binaries interact with Windows and your computer's hardware, but still provides the same user experience as in WSL 1 (the current widely available version).

When you install WSL, it adds Linux to the navigation pane of File Explorer for easier access to the file systems of your installed distros.

If you like, you can remove Linux from the navigation pane of File Explorer without having to uninstall WSL.


EXAMPLE: Linux in navigation pane of File Explorer when WSL is installed




Here's How:

1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you want.

This is the default setting.

(Contents of REG file for reference)





(Contents of REG file for reference)

4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 If File Explorer is open, close and reopen it to apply.

8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.


That's it,
Shawn Brink