Top Features of WSAUtilities (formerly WSAtools) You Should Know

Troubleshooting WSAUtilities (formerly WSAtools): Common Issues & FixesWindows Subsystem for Android (WSA) makes running Android apps on Windows smoother, and WSAUtilities (formerly WSAtools) adds convenience with features like ADB helpers, app management, window resizing, and integration tweaks. However, like any utility that interacts with system components and virtualization layers, it can run into problems. This article covers common issues users face with WSAUtilities and step-by-step fixes, plus tips for diagnosing and preventing future problems.

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Quick checklist before troubleshooting

• Ensure Windows is updated (WSA and virtualization features often depend on recent Windows updates).
• Install WSA from Microsoft Store (or Amazon Appstore) and confirm it runs alone before using WSAUtilities.
• Run WSAUtilities as Administrator when performing operations that modify system settings or the subsystem.
• Keep ADB tools updated — WSAUtilities relies on ADB for many tasks. An outdated ADB may cause connection failures.

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Common Issue 1 — WSAUtilities cannot detect the WSA instance or ADB shows no devices

Symptoms:

• WSAUtilities shows WSA as offline/not detected.
• adb devices returns an empty list or “unauthorized”.

Fixes:

1. Confirm WSA is running:
   • Open Windows Start → search for “Windows Subsystem for Android” and launch it. Ensure the WSA settings window shows “Running”.
2. Enable ADB debugging:
   • In WSA settings, toggle Developer mode and enable ADB debugging. Copy the IP address shown.
3. Connect ADB manually:
   • Open an elevated Command Prompt or PowerShell and run:

     
     adb kill-server adb start-server adb connect <WSA_IP_ADDRESS>:5555 adb devices 

   • If listed as unauthorized, accept the prompt inside the WSA settings or restart the connection.
4. Check firewall and VPN:
   • Ensure local firewall allows ADB (TCP 5555). Disable VPNs temporarily; some VPNs block local network connections.
5. Verify platform-tools:
   • Update Android Platform-Tools (adb). Some WSAUtilities versions bundle adb; if mismatched, point WSAUtilities to the correct adb path in its settings.

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Common Issue 2 — App install/uninstall fails

Symptoms:

• “Install failed” or app appears partially installed; uninstall returns error.

Fixes:

1. Check storage and package conflict:
   • Ensure WSA has enough virtual storage. Remove conflicting older APK versions first:

     
     adb uninstall com.example.app 

2. Use verbose install to see errors:
   • From terminal:

     
     adb install -r -d <path_to_apk> 

   • Flags: -r replace existing, -d allow downgrades.
3. Ensure APK compatibility:
   • Some apps require Google Play Services or specific Android API levels. Confirm the APK’s target SDK is supported by your WSA image.
4. Run WSAUtilities with admin rights:
   • Permission issues while writing to WSA files can block installs.

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Common Issue 3 — Keyboard, clipboard, or input problems

Symptoms:

• Keyboard input not recognized, clipboard copy/paste fails, or physical keyboard behaves oddly.

Fixes:

1. Confirm integration features are enabled:
   • In WSAUtilities and WSA settings, enable integration toggles (clipboard sharing, keyboard).
2. Restart the input daemon:
   • Restart WSA or use ADB to restart the Android input service:

     
     adb shell cmd input text "" 

   • If unresponsive, reboot WSA: stop and start from the WSA settings panel.
3. Check Windows keyboard layouts and language settings:
   • Nonstandard layouts sometimes cause mismatches. Try switching to English (US) temporarily.
4. For clipboard issues:
   • Toggle clipboard sharing off/on in WSAUtilities or WSA settings and re-enable. Reboot if necessary.

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Common Issue 4 — App windows rendering incorrectly / scaling problems

Symptoms:

• App UI is clipped, blurry, too small/large, or window resizing doesn’t apply.

Fixes:

1. Update WSAUtilities and WSA to latest versions:
   • Some rendering options depend on recent updates.
2. Toggle window mode in WSAUtilities:
   • Use the utility’s resize or window mode functions; apply a specific DPI or resolution and restart the app.
3. Use adb to change display density:
   • Example: set density to 240

     
     adb shell wm density 240 && adb reboot 

   • Try several densities to find the best fit. Reset with adb shell wm density reset.
4. Check GPU/graphics driver:
   • Update Windows GPU drivers. Hardware acceleration or driver bugs can affect rendering.
5. If using scaling in Windows (Display Settings > Scale), try setting scale to 100% to test whether that resolves layout issues; if it does, adjust WSAUtilities scaling options accordingly.

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Common Issue 5 — Networking issues inside WSA (no internet or limited connectivity)

Symptoms:

• Apps cannot reach the internet; downloads fail; connection timeouts.

Fixes:

1. Confirm host connectivity:
   • Open a browser in Windows and confirm the internet works.
2. Restart WSA network:
   • Toggle WSA off/on from its settings or reboot the subsystem.
3. Check firewall and DNS:
   • Allow WSA/WSAUtilities traffic in Windows Firewall. Try changing DNS to a public resolver (e.g., 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8) inside the app or via adb:

     
     adb shell settings put global http_proxy :0 

   • For advanced network configuration, inspect WSA virtual network adapter in Windows’ Network Connections.
4. VPNs and proxy:
   • Disable VPNs or proxy services on the host; they may not be shared with WSA.

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Common Issue 6 — WSAUtilities crashes or behaves unpredictably

Symptoms:

• Utility freezes, crashes on launch, or async operations hang.

Fixes:

1. Reinstall WSAUtilities:
   • Uninstall, then reinstall the latest release. Keep configuration backups if available.
2. Run with logs enabled:
   • Enable verbose logging in WSAUtilities (if available) and check logs for exceptions. Logs often point to missing permissions or mismatched adb.
3. Check antivirus interference:
   • Some security software blocks the utility’s actions. Temporarily disable or add exceptions for WSAUtilities and adb.
4. Ensure dependencies are present:
   • Confirm required runtimes (if any) and that .NET or other frameworks are up to date per WSAUtilities documentation.

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Advanced diagnostics: collecting useful logs

Steps:

1. ADB logcat:
   • Capture runtime logs from Android side:

     
     adb logcat > wsa_logcat.txt 

   • Reproduce the problem while logging, then inspect or share the log.
2. WSAUtilities logs:
   • Locate the utility’s log folder (often in %APPDATA% or its installation directory) and collect recent logs.
3. Windows Event Viewer:
   • Search for application or system events around the time of crashes.

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Prevention and best practices

• Keep Windows, WSA, and WSAUtilities updated.
• Run WSAUtilities as Administrator for system-level operations.
• Back up WSAUtilities settings before major changes.
• Use official WSA builds; avoid mixing experimental WSA images unless you’re prepared to troubleshoot.
• Maintain a separate, updated ADB/platform-tools installation and point WSAUtilities to it if needed.

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When to ask for help

Provide these details when seeking further support:

• Windows build number and WSA version.
• WSAUtilities version.
• Steps to reproduce the issue and recent configuration changes.
• Relevant adb logcat output and WSAUtilities logs.

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Troubleshooting WSAUtilities usually boils down to checking ADB connectivity, permissions, and matching versions between tools. Collecting logs and methodically isolating the host, WSA, and app layers will get most problems fixed quickly.