How to Move WSL Distributions and Docker Images to Another Drive on Windows

Running out of space on your Windows system drive? Or maybe you're optimizing performance and prefer to isolate your Linux environment. By default, Windows installs WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) distributions and Docker images on the C: drive, which can quickly fill up. The good news is that you can move them to a different location — safely and without losing any data or configuration.

This guide walks you through the entire process of relocating WSL distributions and Docker data to another drive, using built-in commands. Whether you're moving Ubuntu, Alpine, or the docker-desktop distributions, these steps apply to all.

Check Which WSL Distributions Are Installed

Before you move anything, you need to identify the distributions currently installed on your system.

Open a terminal and run:

wsl --list --verbose

or the shorthand version:

wsl -l -v

This will return a list of installed distributions and their states:

  NAME                   STATE           VERSION
* Ubuntu-22.04           Running         2
  docker-desktop         Running         2
  docker-desktop-data    Running         2

Export WSL Distribution Data

Once you've identified the distribution you want to move, you'll export its filesystem to a .tar archive.

Run this command:

wsl --export <distro_name> <distro_name>.tar

For example, to export the Docker Desktop data:

wsl --export docker-desktop docker-desktop.tar

This will create a .tar file in your current directory containing the full file system of the selected distribution.

Unregister the Existing Distribution

After exporting, the next step is to unregister (delete) the current instance of the distribution from WSL.

This command will remove it:

wsl --unregister <distro_name>

Using our earlier example:

wsl --unregister docker-desktop

Re-import the Distribution to a New Location

Now you're ready to import the exported data to a different location, such as another drive (e.g., D:\WSL\).

Use the --import command:

wsl --import <distro_name> <install_location> <backup_file.tar> --version 2

Example:

wsl --import docker-desktop D:\WSL\docker-desktop docker-desktop.tar --version 2

This recreates the distribution from the .tar backup in the specified directory. You can choose any location, but ensure it's on a drive with enough space and that the destination folder exists (create it if needed).

Verify and Run Your Distribution

Once imported, your distribution is available again via WSL.

You can verify its status with:

wsl -l -v

It should show up in the list, just like before, now running from the new location.

To launch it:

wsl -d <distro_name>

Why Move WSL and Docker Distributions?

There are several good reasons to relocate your WSL environments:

• Free up space on the C: drive, especially useful on SSDs with limited capacity.
• Improve performance by using a faster or dedicated drive.
• Better organization of development environments, especially in enterprise or devops workflows.
• Security and backup: easier to isolate and back up Linux environments stored on a separate volume.

Conclusion

Relocating your WSL distributions and Docker data to another drive is a smart way to manage storage, speed up your system, and maintain better control over your development environments.

With just a few terminal commands — exporting, unregistering, and importing — you can move your Linux containers without losing a single file or configuration. It’s a low-risk operation with high rewards.

If you're using WSL as part of a Docker development setup, or managing multiple Linux environments on Windows, moving them off the main drive can make a noticeable difference in performance and organization. Give it a try and reclaim your space!