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wslrelay.exe

Windows ProcessMicrosoft Corporation

Catalog search terms wslrelay, wsl relay, wsl localhost relay

WindowsSystem Component

WSL localhost and stdio relay. E dey forward ports and some console streams between Windows and distro. E no be the hypervisor and no be WslService.

Wetin you need know

wslrelay na the port/stdio relay, no be the hypervisor.

wslrelay.exe dey forward localhost ports and some stdio between Windows and WSL. vmcompute.exe and the utility VM na the compute side. wslhost.exe dey handle broader interop. To end relay fit drop forwarded web server, no be Hyper-V itself.

E safe?
Check the running file path, signature, and publisher. Name alone no fit confirm say e safe.
Shey na Hyper-V?
No. Na port/stdio relay
Same as wslhost?
No. wslhost na interop I/O
Feex tok say
If I see wslrelay while I bind Linux app to localhost, I dey treat dat as the port bridge. I no dey open Hyper-V Manager go hunt vmms for dat listen.

Wetin be wslrelay.exe?

wslrelay na the port/stdio relay, no be the hypervisor. E no be vmms.exe and e no be vmcompute.exe. Those ones dey run compute. This image only dey bridge localhost and some streams.

Wetin e dey do?

E dey map Linux listen enter Windows localhost and fit carry stdio for process wey dem launch. E no dey manage VMs and e no dey list distributions.

Wetin make am dey run?

Distro publish port, tool use localhost forwarding, or WSL need stdio bridge. If no forwarded sockets dey, dat often mean say this relay suppose dey idle or commot.

Wetin make many copies dey?

Several wslrelay.exe copies fit be several port or stdio bridges. Dat one no be several Hyper-V management services.

Inspect the running instance

Inside Windows PowerShell, this read-only query show matching process IDs, creation times and executable paths on this PC. (pcm)

Get-CimInstance -ClassName Win32_Process | Where-Object { $_.Name -eq 'wslrelay.exe' } | Select-Object ProcessId, ParentProcessId, CreationDate, Name, ExecutablePath | Format-List

No result or a path we no fit access is inconclusive. Protected processes fit restrict access, and process IDs fit be reused. Keep personal paths local. (pcm)

Use the file-identity guide to compare signatures and product metadata. A filename alone no fit establish safety. (pcm)

E dey safe?

Check dis running file

Microsoft wslrelay inside the WSL package na the localhost/stdio bridge. wslrelay.exe inside Temp no be dat. This one still no be Hyper-V vmms.

Compare the recorded location with the actual file. A familiar folder alone no fit establish identity. (pcm)

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForLinux_*\wslrelay.exe

  • Expected publisher: Microsoft Corporation
  • Work na port and stdio relay
  • No be vmcompute.exe and no be vmms.exe

I fit end am?

Dat forwarded port go drop

To end wslrelay.exe fit break localhost access to dat Linux listener. The utility VM fit stay up. To stop vmms.exe na different Hyper-V mata.

I fit comot am?

No

No delete wslrelay.exe. Stop the Linux process wey publish the port, or run wsl --shutdown. No disable Hyper-V to commot this relay.

E suppose start with Windows?

Forward or stdio bridge dey start am. E no be Startup Apps.

Measure resource use

Measure the current process rather than assume a universal baseline
CPU and memory Compare several observations for the same PID and workload. This entry get no independently measured universal baseline. (pcm)
Disk and network Attribute activity to the actual process and current task; a filename alone no fit establish expected destinations or transfer volume. (pcm)

File information

wslrelay.exe file information
Executable name wslrelay.exe
Recorded installation path C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\MicrosoftCorporationII.WindowsSubsystemForLinux_*\wslrelay.exe
Publisher Microsoft Corporation
Signature check Inspect the actual file; this entry no dey certify its certificate identity. (pcm)

Common wahala dem

Browser no fit hit localhost:3000 afta optimizer kill the relay

Restart the Linux server or the distro. The app still dey inside the VM. vmms never be this bridge.

Confused with wslhost file hangs

\\wsl.localhost file I/O na wslhost. Dead localhost port na this relay.

How to troubleshoot

Diagnose before you change anything wey fit scatter things.

Confirm say the Linux process still dey listen

Inside the distro, check the port. If e dey listen there but Windows localhost dey fail, the relay na the Windows side. Hyper-V Manager no go show this socket.

wsl --shutdown, then start the app again

Dat one dey rebuild relays. No replace vmcompute.exe to "fix localhost."

Technical details

Technical details
wslrelay.exe technical details
Image name wslrelay.exe
Role WSL localhost and stdio relay

Check the identity of running file

A filename alone no fit establish safety. Verify the actual path, signature and product identity. (pcm)

Sources and verification

Recorded source label: August 2026. Dis label no establish independent verification. How we dey do research.

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