Unable to change the root password in Windows 10 WSL

There is a simpler method.

1. Open cmd.exe
2. Type wsl -u root
3. Type passwd username and change the password
4. Type exit
5. Type wsl
6. Type sudo echo hi to confirm the new password works.

1. in wsl, sudo passwd will change the password of the WSL root user.
2. in wsl, passwd will change the password of the current WSL user

• to specify which WSL user to use (temporarily) wsl -u [user]

3. in wsl, passwd [user] will change the password of any WSL user
4. in wsl, sudo generally asks for the password of the current WSL user.
5. in windows cmd.exe, you can change the default WSL user (permanently):

• in current versions: ubuntu.exe config --default-user [user]
• in legacy versions 1703, 1709: lxrun /setdefaultuser [user]
• a restart may be required

You probably want to change the password of the sudo-capable, non-root user.

You probably do not want to change the root users password (because in Ubuntu, the root user generally should not have a password, sudo should be used instead). You probably also do not want to leave your default user as root. Even when working form windows, its still a bad practice.

Official Microsoft documentation on User Accounts and Permissions can be found here: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/commandline/wsl/user_support

It is assumed you are using Ubuntu in this explanation.

• If you forgot your password on WSL simply open your command prompt from windows by typing cmd on search.
• Then type ubuntu config --default-user root to set root as the default user for Linux Bash Shell.
• Then open the Linux Bash shell which will log you in as root without asking for password.
• Then use passwd username to reset the password of any user.
• Use ubuntu config --default-user username to reset back to your normal Linux user account.