Fix OpenClaw Installation Failed — WSL2 Error 0x80370102

Quick, Battle-Tested Guide

OpenClaw requires a full Linux kernel. Error 0x80370102 means Windows cannot start the VM for this kernel because hardware virtualization is disabled or blocked. Follow these five steps in order.

TL;DR: Verify CPU virtualization support → enable it in BIOS/UEFI → reset Windows features → fix bootloader hypervisor setting → use nested virtualization (VM hosts) or WSL1 fallback if your hardware is too old.

Step 1: Verify Hardware Support (Do This First)

Ensure your CPU supports SLAT (Second Level Address Translation).

# Download Coreinfo (Microsoft Sysinternals)
# Run in an Administrator Command Prompt
.\coreinfo.exe -v

Interpretation: * means Supported, - means Not Supported.

Intel: Look for VMX and EPT. AMD: Look for SVM and NP.

If you see - for these, your hardware is too old for OpenClaw’s default mode—skip to the WSL1 fallback in Step 5.

Step 2: Enable Virtualization in BIOS/UEFI

This is the most common cause—many manufacturers ship virtualization disabled.

ASUS

F2/Del → Advanced Mode (F7) → Advanced → CPU Configuration → Intel VMX / AMD SVM

Dell

F2 → Virtualization Support → Virtualization (Enable Intel Virtualization)

HP

F10 → Configuration (Consumer) or Security → System Security (Business) → VTx

Lenovo

F1/F2 → Security or Configuration → Intel Virtualization Technology

MSI/Gigabyte

Del → Overclocking → CPU Features → SVM Mode / Intel Virtualization

Note: Save changes (usually F10) and exit.

Step 3: The “Toggle Fix” (Windows Features Stuck)

If BIOS virtualization is enabled but errors persist, Windows features may be stuck. Use Optional Features to “toggle” them cleanly.

Press Win + R, type optionalfeatures.exe.

  • Uncheck: Virtual Machine Platform, Windows Subsystem for Linux, and Hyper-V (if active).
  • Restart your computer.
  • Open optionalfeatures.exe again and re-check: Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Subsystem for Linux.
  • Restart again.

Alternatively, force-enable via PowerShell (Admin):

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Step 4: Fix the Boot Configuration

Sometimes the hypervisor exists but is disabled in the bootloader.

# PowerShell (Admin)
bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto

Restart your computer after applying.

Step 5: Advanced Troubleshooting

Scenario A: Running Inside a VM (Azure/Cloud)

You need Nested Virtualization to use WSL2.

# Hyper-V Host
Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true

On Azure, choose Dv3/Ev3 series VMs. A-series does not support nested virtualization.

Scenario B: Nothing Works (Fail‑Safe)

If hardware won’t support WSL2, you can force OpenClaw to use WSL1. It’s slower, but it works.

# PowerShell (Admin)
wsl --set-default-version 1

Retry the OpenClaw installation after switching.

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