How to run Windows Installer on wsl2?

[ChumyuenLaw]

I have a Windows Installer exe and want to execute it in wsl2. Is there a way?
I have tried sth like this:

cd /path/to/installer
./installer.exe

It returns

./installer.exe: Invalid argument

[tigran-sargsyan-w]

You can’t run a Windows .exe from WSL if it lives in the Linux filesystem (/home/...). Put it on a Windows drive (C:\… → /mnt/c/...) or call it via cmd.exe/powershell.exe. For admin installs, elevate from Windows (WSL’s sudo won’t help).

Do this:

1. Move or reference the installer on a Windows path, e.g. C:\Users\<you>\Downloads\installer.exe.

2. From WSL:

cd /mnt/c/Users/<you>/Downloads
./installer.exe

3. Need admin?

powershell.exe Start-Process 'C:\Users\<you>\Downloads\installer.exe' -Verb RunAs

4. Still get “Invalid argument”? You’re likely launching from the Linux side (/home/...) or interop is disabled. Check:

cat /etc/wsl.conf
# should contain:
[interop]
enabled = true

Then restart WSL:

wsl.exe --shutdown

5. Passing arguments (quiet/silent varies by installer):

cmd.exe /c "C:\Users\<you>\Downloads\installer.exe /S"

Why this works: WSL can interop with Windows apps, but executing a PE binary from the Linux (ext4) side fails with that error. Running from /mnt/c (NTFS) or invoking through cmd.exe/powershell.exe avoids it.

If this helps, consider marking the answer as accepted so others can find it quickly.