Open up WSL in Current Window (Right Click Context Menu: Registry Add)

This code assumes that you have Windows Subsystem for Linux installed in your Windows 10/11 environment

*Full Disclosure* This adds code to your Registry

1. create a file called wsl-install-contect.reg
2. add the code at the bottom of this list and save it (remove formatting from text when pasting):
3. double click and give permissions

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Add “Open in WSL” to standard right-click context menu
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\WSLHere]
@=”Open in WSL”
“Icon”=”C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe”

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\WSLHere\command]
@=”cmd.exe /k wsl.exe”

; For right-clicking on folders directly
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\WSLHere]
@=”Open in WSL”
“Icon”=”C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe”

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\WSLHere\command]
@=”cmd.exe /k wsl.exe”

To Remove the registry entry:

1. create a file called wsl-remove-context.reg
2. add the code at the bottom of this list and save it
3. double click and give permissions

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

; Remove WSL entries from right-click context menu
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\wsl]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\wsl]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\WSLHere]
[-HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\WSLHere]