Optimizing VHD/VHDX using WSL on Windows 11

Abstract: Learn how to optimize VHD and VHDX files using WSL on Windows 11 without Docker Desktop. This guide explains how to use a PowerShell script to reduce the size of your VHDX by running specific commands.

Created: 2025-04-01 by UserComp.com Editors

To optimize the size of a VHDX file in Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), you can use the following PowerShell script without using Docker Desktop or any docker service in WSL.

First, close the WSL instance using the command:

wsl --shutdown

Then, run the following PowerShell script to optimize the VHDX file:

Optimize-VHD -Path "C:\path\to\your\vhdxfile.vhdx"

Replace "C:\path\to\your\vhdxfile.vhdx" with the actual path to your VHDX file.

Here's a summary of the references:

Book: Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) Guide by Microsoft Press
Article: Optimize VHDX file size in WSL
Online Resource: Optimize VHDX file in WSL

Tags: Linux Windows WSL

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