How to Access Linux Files on Windows 11 Using WSL

Steps to Mount Linux File System on 🪟 Windows 11

Step 1Open PowerShell as Administrator

⚠️ Admin privileges required

First, you’ll want to open PowerShell with administrator privileges:

1. ⊞ Click Start. Type PowerShell.
2. Right-click Windows PowerShell. Select Run as administrator.

Step 2See Your Drives

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) can access your computer's drives. To see a list of accessible drives, open PowerShell and type the command `wmic diskdrive list brief`. This command displays a clear list of your drives, showing their names and sizes, helping you select the correct drive for mounting.

wmic diskdrive list brief

You should see a list like this:

Caption DeviceID Model Partitions Size
SAMSUNG MZVKW512HMJP-000H1 \.PHYSICALDRIVE0 SAMSUNG MZVKW512HMJP-000H1 3 512105932800
ST1000LM035-1RK172 \.PHYSICALDRIVE1 ST1000LM035-1RK172 1 1000202273280

Look at the DeviceID column; this tells you the name of the physical drives.

Step 3Mount the Linux Drive

Mounting your Linux drive lets you access its files directly from Windows using a simple PowerShell command. In PowerShell, type ‘wsl –mount ‘, but replace with the specific drive identifier you found earlier, like \.PHYSICALDRIVE0 for the first drive.

wsl --mount <DISKPATH>

For example, to mount the first drive shown above:

wsl --mount \.PHYSICALDRIVE0

wsl --mount \.PHYSICALDRIVE0 --partition 1

wsl --mount <DISKPATH> -t vfat

Step 4Access Linux Files in Windows 📁 File Explorer

Once your Linux drive is mounted, you can easily access its files from Windows 📁 File Explorer. Simply open 📁 File Explorer, type ‘\wsl$’ into the address bar at the top, and then click on your Linux distribution’s name to see all your files.

In the address bar at the top, type:

\wsl$

You’ll see your Linux distributions listed here. Click on your Linux distro (for example, Ubuntu). Then open the mount folder to find your mounted drive’s files.

Step 5Unmount the Linux Drive (When Done)

When you want to safely disconnect the Linux drive, go back to PowerShell and run:

wsl --unmount <DISKPATH>

Example:

wsl --unmount \.PHYSICALDRIVE0

Summary

• WSL lets you run Linux inside Windows 11 easily.
• You can mount and open Linux drives or partitions directly in Windows via PowerShell commands.
• Once mounted, Linux files are available inside Windows 📁 File Explorer under \wsl$.
• Remember to unmount your drives safely when done.

Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) makes it easy to run Linux on your Windows 11 computer. You can mount your Linux drives or partitions and access their files directly in Windows 📁 File Explorer using simple PowerShell commands and the ‘\wsl$’ path.

How to Install WSL on Windows 11

How to Use 📁 File Explorer on Windows 11

How to Run PowerShell as Administrator

If you have questions or want to share your experience, please leave a comment below!