If you’ve installed WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux), Git Bash, or MSYS2, you technically have a Bash shell. But placing a .bashrc file on your Windows desktop won’t work. Here’s where to find—and create—your configuration file depending on how you’re running Bash on Windows 11. If you’re using Windows 11’s flagship Linux integration (WSL2), your .bashrc does not live in C:\Users\YourName . It lives inside the Linux distribution’s virtual file system.
/home/your_linux_username/ To find or edit .bashrc from Windows File Explorer, type this into the WSL terminal: bashrc file location windows 11
Never edit this file with Notepad or WordPad. Use nano , vim , or VS Code’s WSL remote extension. Windows apps can add carriage returns ( \r\n ) that break the Bash parser. 2. The Git Bash Dev: Hidden in Your User Profile Many Windows 11 developers install Git for Windows, which comes with Git Bash —a lightweight Bash emulator. Git Bash does not read a Linux file system; it reads Windows files but expects Unix line endings. If you’ve installed WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux),