E_ACCESSDENIED when trying to install new distro

[RequiDev]

Version

Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19045.2311]

WSL Version

• WSL 2
• WSL 1

Kernel Version

5.15.74.2

Distro Version

No response

Other Software

No response

Repro Steps

Anytime I try to install a distro, for example, Ubuntu it fails with:
Installing: Ubuntu
Access is denied. =========90.0%===================== ]
Error code: Wsl/InstallDistro/E_ACCESSDENIED

If I do it through the Microsoft Store I get:
Code: 0x80070005

I removed an Ubuntu instance before this started happening because I used it as a temporary instance to tinker around.

Expected Behavior

The distro should install.

Actual Behavior

Installing: Ubuntu
Access is denied. =========90.0%===================== ]
Error code: Wsl/InstallDistro/E_ACCESSDENIED

If I do it through the Microsoft Store I get:
Code: 0x80070005

Diagnostic Logs

WslLogs-2022-12-14_12-39-19.zip

[Shadow-Cipher]

Same issue. As a matter of fact, on three different physical computers using a couple of different versions of Windows Pro, there hasn't been a single time when I've installed WSL and used it heavily where it hasn't stopped working for some reason or another and usually a fix isn't easy.

It is also never apparent as to why it happened or what caused it and personally I have found determining that to be problematic at best.

When it comes to this particular error (Error code: Wsl/InstallDistro/E_ACCESSDENIED) I am unable to import a previously exported instance of a distro via powershell and running as admin. This seems to me to be a WSL/Host-OS issue and maybe hardware issues combined rather than an issue specifically with WSL alone.

In every case and trying to solve various other errors that produce similar results with WSL/WSL2 including this particular one, the only solution I've seen that works is to refresh the system or reinstall the system.

That is not a viable option due to how much software I have to reinstall and configure in order to get my system up to speed in order to produce the results I expect. WSL/WSL2 is awesome when it works as it is supposed to, but all things considered in my personal experiences with it, it hasn't been dependable/reliable for any notable length of time.

[owen118z]

+1

[RequiDev]

I managed to fix this. The underlying problem was that the Microsoft Store was unable to install anything it seems.
I have fixed this by following the third solution here: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/0x80070005-cant-download-or-update-any-app-from/1629e23b-6332-4cb0-ad12-1b1fc12e01a1

In case this link is ever dead:
Solution 3
Reinstall the Microsoft Store.

1. Right-click on Start.
2. Click on Windows PowerShell(admin)
3. Type: Get-AppXPackage -allusers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"} and press ENTER.
4. Reboot your pc and try open the Microsoft Store.

[SepehrMalayeri]

Download the distros from the web with --web-download. Easy!