how to stop GUI apps from hanging?

[developer992]

I run pycharm from WSL for python interpreter integration

It keeps hanging, right click to open a menu -> hang

Especially after waking up computer from sleep. I use hibernation and when i wake it up. GUI apps are not visible and they won't restart either. wsl --shutdown and restart

sometimes several times a day

any tips in which garbage can to throw this laptop into

[tigran-sargsyan-w]

This is a known WSLg + sleep/hibernation quirk. Update WSL/WSLg, avoid hibernation/Fast Startup, and use a quick restart for the WSLg compositor when it gets stuck. If it still happens, grab logs and file it.

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1) Update WSL + WSLg

wsl --version
wsl --update
wsl --shutdown

That pulls the latest Store build (which includes WSLg fixes). Launch any distro again and retest. (Docs: Run Linux GUI apps with WSL / update + shutdown.)

2) Why it happens

After sleep/hibernation the WSLg display stack (Weston/RDP-RAIL) can lose its session, leaving GUI windows frozen or invisible. It’s a long-standing issue discussed in the WSL/WSLg trackers.

3) Quick recovery when GUIs hang

A. Fastest: Restart only the WSLg compositor (no full distro shutdown):

1. Open an elevated terminal and enter the WSLg “system distro”:

wsl --system

2. In that shell, kill Weston so it restarts:

pkill -9 weston
exit

Your Linux GUI apps should reappear/launch normally afterwards. (Workaround referenced by WSLg maintainers.)

B. Simple (broader reset):

wsl --shutdown

Then start your distro again.

4) Reduce recurrences

• Prefer Sleep over Hibernate (or disable hibernation) when you rely on WSLg GUIs.
• Disable Windows Fast Startup (hybrid-hibernate at shutdown) — it’s known to cause odd WSL/WSLg states. You’ll get a slightly slower cold boot but fewer GUI hiccups.
• Keep GPU/graphics and MSRDC components updated via Windows Update.

5) If you’re using Windows PyCharm with a WSL interpreter

That’s a Windows app (not a WSLg GUI). Hangs after resume usually mean WSL itself got into a bad state — the wsl --shutdown reset above typically clears it.

6) Still broken? Capture info and file it

• Check WSLg config/log locations and collect WSL traces, then open an issue with versions (Windows build, wsl --version, distro, WSLg version) and steps to repro.

If this helps, consider marking the answer as accepted so others can find it quickly.

[developer992]

Thank you for your extensive answer

1. I already have the latest WSL version, I update often with "wsl --update". I also install all updates regularly.
2. I use hibernate instead of sleep because laptop kept waking up in my backpack, overheating and draining battery but I changed it back now, will see if it's still a problem.
3. I disabled fast start up
4. I will try killing weston next time it happens
5. I installed pycharm inside WSL so it's a linux app not a windows one. I could use windows version but I cannot use python interpreter from WSL then in Pycharm Community Edition as it's a pro only feature.

[tigran-sargsyan-w]

Thanks for the follow-up — sounds like you’ve already ticked most of the big boxes. A few tweaks that usually make hibernate + WSLg more reliable, plus a small quality-of-life reset script.

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1) Backpack wake + hibernate hygiene (Windows side)

Kill the “mystery wakes” so you can keep hibernation without WSLg getting funky after resume.

• See what can wake your laptop:

powercfg -devicequery wake_armed
powercfg -lastwake

• Disable wake on the chatty devices (mouse/BT/network, etc.):

powercfg -devicedisablewake "Device Name From List"

• Turn off wake timers for your current power plan (both battery/AC):

powercfg /SETACVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_SLEEP RTCWAKE 0
powercfg /SETDCVALUEINDEX SCHEME_CURRENT SUB_SLEEP RTCWAKE 0
powercfg /SETACTIVE SCHEME_CURRENT

• Optional: Disable “Allow the computer to turn on this device to wake” in Device Manager for network/BT adapters.

This usually stops the “wakes in the backpack” so you don’t need to favor Sleep over Hibernate just to avoid WSLg glitches.

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2) One-shot WSLg reset (faster than full shutdown)

Since you’re on the Linux PyCharm (WSLg), a stuck compositor is the usual culprit after resume. Make a tiny Windows-side helper so you don’t have to type it each time:

PowerShell function (add to your profile):

function Restart-WSLg {
  wsl --system sh -lc "pkill -9 weston" | Out-Null
  Write-Host "WSLg compositor restarted."
}
# Usage: Restart-WSLg

Or a quick CMD file:

@echo off
wsl --system sh -lc "pkill -9 weston"
echo WSLg compositor restarted.

Run it the moment GUIs stop painting; PyCharm should pop back without shutting down your distros.

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3) PyCharm (Linux app under WSLg)

• If the IDE is the only app that stays frozen after resume while others recover, try starting it clean once after the WSLg reset (no need to reinstall).
• If you ever see rendering artefacts (rare), launching it after a Restart-WSLg is enough.
• Toolbox App inside WSL works fine; just keep JBR/IDE up to date. (No extra flags usually needed under WSLg.)

---

4) If it ever persists

Next time it happens, before resetting, grab versions and logs so we can spot a pattern:

wsl --version
wsl --system sh -lc "cat /mnt/wslg/versions.txt || true"
wsl --system sh -lc "tail -n +1 /mnt/wslg/*.log || true"

Good luck — and nice call switching off Fast Startup. That alone sidesteps a bunch of odd resume states.

If this helps, consider marking the answer as accepted so others can find it quickly.

[developer992]

pkill -9 weston

this does nothing unfortunately