WSL integration with Docker Desktop intermittently fails with "HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT" after forced Windows shutdown #13578
Description
I installed wordpress-develop ( https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop.) and it started up successfully, but while I was developing a WordPress project on that container, Windows forced a shutdown.
As a result, I got a message like "WSL integration with distro 'Ubuntu-24.04' unexpectedly stopped. Do you want to restart it?" (on Docker Desktop)
Then I followed that message, and retried connecting to WSL in VS Code. Once I succeeded to log in the WSL shell, but after that, it fails intermittently. ( When I successfully logged in, I could connect to WSL normally for a while. But after a few days, the error code "HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT" appears and the connection fails. )
Even if I try to connect directly to WSL in Powershell, the same "HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT" appears.
Environment
Windows Version
Windows 11 Home 10.0.26100.6584 (Build 26100.6584)
WSL Version
2.5.10.0
Are you using WSL 1 or WSL 2?
-
WSL 1
-
WSL 2
Kernel Version
6.6.87.2-1
Distro Version
Ubuntu 24.04.2 LTS
Other Software
docker desktop windows 4.37.1(178610)
Node.js, npm
I forgot to take output while WSL was successfully running, so I'm not able to get their details.
I've already logged out of WSL and can't reconnect, so I don't know the exact version or some info like that.
Reproduction Steps
-
Inside WSL, I installed the container using Node.js and npm.
Note: The specific project ( wordpress-develop ) is not essential to reproducing the issue, but it reflects the kind of workload I was running.
-
Windows triggered a forced shutdown ( due to crash by a watchdog_violation ) while container is running.
-
Upon reboot, Docker Desktop shows:
"WSL integration with distro 'Ubuntu-24.04' unexpectedly stopped. Do you want to restart it?" -
Retry WSL connection via VS Code or PowerShell.
-
Once login attempting succeeded, but fails with "HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT" again after a few days.
Powershell Logs
When succeeds:
WslLogs-2025-09-29_11-05-52.zip
When fails
WslLogs-2025-10-06_14-41-45.zip
What I Tried ( when I got the Error code at the first time )
1. Ensure WSL integration is enabled
Settings > Resources > WSL integration
Click "Restart the WSL Integration" Button on the message window above.
2. Connect to WSL (vscode)
Ctrl Shift P > Connect to WSL
3. Check the syslog (WSL)
PowerShell 7.5.3
PS C:\Windows\System32> wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04
xxx@Ataraxia:/mnt/c/Windows/System32$ sudo journalctl -f
[sudo] password for xxx:
I tried using journalctl as shown above, but nothing came up.
note :
System logging is disabled by default in WSL.
So I added the following to /etc/wsl.conf on Ubuntu-24.04:
[boot]
systemd=true
Exit WSL:
xxx@Ataraxia:/mnt/c/Windows/System32$ exit
Then, completely restart WSL using PowerShell:
PS C:\Windows\System32> wsl --shutdown
PS C:\Windows\System32> wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04
View the system log again:
xxx@Ataraxia:/mnt/c/Windows/System32$ sudo journalctl -f
WARNING Daemon: could not connect to Windows Agent: could not get address: could not read agent port file "/mnt/c/Users/cinem/.ubuntupro/.address": open /mnt/c/Users/cinem/.ubuntupro/.address: no such file or directory
Sep 28 11:47:16 Ataraxia wsl-pro-service[229]: INFO Reconnecting to Windows host in 60 seconds
Searching for the error message reveals an issue on GitHub, but it was closed without a solution. ↓
Close VS Code
Close normally
Start WSL
After attempting to start WSL, I failed with the error code Wsl/Service/HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT.
PS C:\Users\cinem> wsl -d Ubuntu-24.04
The operation timed out because no response was received from the virtual machine or container.
Error Code: Wsl/Service/HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT
Additional notes
In the issue (#12433) I mentioned above,
an ubuntu-pro-client related problem was mentioned in another issue (#12992) which was opened by 12433's author after former 12433 was closed by bot.
Quoting a comment from issue 12992:
This appears to be an issue with the wsl-pro-service malfunctioning, I would recommend filing a bug there for that team to address.
In the interim you can uninstall the Ubuntu Pro client with
sudo apt remove ubuntu-pro-client.
But removing "ubuntu-pro-client" apt package is not available option for me, because I still cannot log in my WSL shell due to "HCS_E_CONNECTION_TIMEOUT" I mentioned.