How do I restore a WSL instance from a backup?

Windows WSL
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2

Step 1

wsl --unregister <instance>

E.g.:

wsl --unregister Ubuntu-22.04

learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/basic-commands#unregister-or-uninstall-a-linux-distribution

Step 2

wsl --import <instance> <where to place> <backup> --version 2

E.g.:

wsl --import Ubuntu-22.04 C:/work/discourse/wsl/2023-10-30/instance ./2023-11-01-03-54.tar --version 2

learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/basic-commands#import-and-export-a-distribution

Step 3

Start the instance.