If you are using Docker Desktop on Windows 10, you might encounter an error message that says “Docker Desktop stopped”. This can be frustrating and prevent you from running your containers and applications. In this tutorial, I will explain what causes this error and how to solve it in four easy steps.
Step 1: Enable Virtualization in BIOS and Install WSL2 Linux Kernel Update
One of the common causes of the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10 is that your system does not have the required features to run Docker Desktop. These features are virtualization and WSL2. In this step, I will show you how to enable virtualization in BIOS and install WSL2 Linux kernel update on your computer.
Virtualization is a technology that allows your computer to run multiple operating systems or applications in separate environments. This is essential for Docker Desktop because it uses a virtual machine to host the Docker engine and run your containers. To enable virtualization in BIOS, you need to access the BIOS setup menu when you boot your computer. The exact steps may vary depending on your computer model and manufacturer, but usually you need to press a key like F2, F10, or Delete during the boot process. Once you are in the BIOS menu, look for an option called “Virtualization Technology”, “VT-x”, “AMD-V”, or something similar and enable it. Save the changes and exit the BIOS menu.
WSL2 stands for Windows Subsystem for Linux version 2. It is a compatibility layer that allows you to run Linux binaries natively on Windows 10. This is important for Docker Desktop because it uses WSL2 as the backend engine to run Linux containers on Windows. To install WSL2 Linux kernel update, you need to download it from this link: https://wslstorestorage.blob.core.windows.net/wslblob/wsl_update_x64.msi. Run the installer and follow the instructions. You may need to restart your computer again after the installation.
By enabling virtualization in BIOS and installing WSL2 Linux kernel update, you have fixed one of the possible reasons for the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10. In the next step, I will show you how to check your Docker settings.json file and set wslEngineEnabled to true.
Step 2: Check Your Docker Settings.json File and Set wslEngineEnabled to True
Another potential cause of the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10 is that your Docker settings.json file does not have the correct configuration for using WSL2 as the backend engine. The settings.json file is located at C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Docker\ and contains various options for customizing your Docker experience.
To check your Docker settings.json file and set wslEngineEnabled to true, you need to open the file with a text editor like Notepad or Visual Studio Code. Look for a line that says "wslEngineEnabled": false and change it to "wslEngineEnabled": true. Save the file and close the editor.
By checking your Docker settings.json file and setting wslEngineEnabled to true, you have fixed another possible reason for the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10. In the next step, I will show you how to uninstall Docker Desktop 4.5.0 and install 4.4.4 instead.
Step 3: Try Uninstalling Docker Desktop 4.5.0 and Installing 4.4.4 Instead
Some users have reported that the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10 occurs only with Docker Desktop version 4.5.0 and that downgrading to version 4.4.4 solves the problem. This may be due to some bugs or compatibility issues with the latest version of Docker Desktop.
To uninstall Docker Desktop 4.5.0 and install 4.4.4 instead, you need to go to the Control Panel and select “Programs and Features”. Find Docker Desktop in the list of installed programs and click on “Uninstall”. Follow the prompts to remove Docker Desktop from your computer.
Then, download Docker Desktop version 4.4.4 from this link: https://desktop.docker.com/win/stable/amd64/69386/Docker%20Desktop%20Installer.exe. Run the installer and follow the instructions to install Docker Desktop on your computer.
By uninstalling Docker Desktop 4.5.0 and installing 4.4.4 instead, you have fixed another possible reason for the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10. In the next step, I will show you how to open Hyper-V Manager and connect to your local computer.
Step 4: Open Hyper-V Manager and Connect to Local Computer
The final potential cause of the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10 is that your Hyper-V Manager is not connected to your local computer. Hyper-V Manager is a tool that allows you to manage virtual machines and networks on your computer or remote servers. Docker Desktop uses Hyper-V Manager to create and run a virtual machine that hosts the Docker engine.
To open Hyper-V Manager and connect to the local computer, you need to press the Windows start button and type “hyper-v”. It will show you Hyper-V Manager in the search results. Open it and select “Connect to Server” from the right panel. A pop-up window will appear where you need to select “Local Computer” and click on “OK”.
By opening Hyper-V Manager and connecting to a local computer, you have fixed the final possible reason for the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10. You can now try running Docker Desktop again and see if it works without any issues.
You have now completed all the steps to fix the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10. I hope this tutorial was helpful for you. You have learned how to enable virtualization in BIOS, install WSL2 Linux kernel update package, check your Docker settings.json file, uninstall and install different versions of Docker Desktop, and open Hyper-V Manager and connect to local computer. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know in the comments below.
Final words
I hope the above-mentioned suggestions will help you resolve the Docker Desktop Stopped error on Windows 10. This error can be annoying and prevent you from using Docker Desktop to run your containers and applications. By following the steps in this tutorial, you should be able to fix the error and enjoy Docker Desktop without any issues.
If you want to learn more about Docker and how to use it for various purposes, I recommend you to visit the “Docker tutorials for beginners” page. There you will find a series of tutorials that will teach you the basics of Docker, such as how to install Docker, how to create and run containers, how to build and share images, how to use Docker Compose and more. These tutorials are designed for beginners who want to get started with Docker and learn by doing.
Thank you for reading this tutorial. I hope you found it useful and informative. If you have any questions or feedback, please let me know in the comments below.
Installed docker desktop for windows, after having installed the linux kernel update package and changing to wsl 2 version (virtualization is enabled) but i get the message «Docker Desktop stopped…» as shown below.
Tried:
- uninstalling and reinstalling again
- run application as administrator
asked Feb 11, 2022 at 18:13
Yanis Yanis
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I had the same problem. If you are using docker 4.5.0, try uninstall and install 4.4.4 instead. That worked for me.
answered Feb 11, 2022 at 20:48
3
A new version of Docker Desktop (4.5.1), released on 2022-02-15 fixes this problem.
If you are running Docker Desktop on Windows Home, installing 4.5.1 will switch it back to WSL 2 automatically. If you are running another version of Windows, and you want Docker Desktop to use the WSL 2 backend, you must manually switch by enabling the Use the WSL 2 based engine option in the Settings > General section. Alternatively, you can edit the Docker Desktop settings file located at %APPDATA%\Docker\settings.json and manually switch the value of the wslEngineEnabled field to true.
answered Feb 15, 2022 at 16:32
2
I also get the same problem after updating my Docker version from 4.4.4 to 4.5. It was crashed when I want to run my container today. I try to reinstall with 4.5 version and get the error «Docker Desktop stopped…». Then, I try to reinstall with 4.4.4 version, and now it just run perfectly fine like before.
answered Feb 13, 2022 at 15:09
1
Also had this issue on Mac (Intel chip) after updating to v4.5.0.
Reinstalling the desktop app and a system restart solved the issue.
answered Feb 28, 2022 at 1:20
3
I tried to start Docker Desktop this morning on my Windows machine and was getting the error «Docker Desktop stopped» before the application automatically closed.
A quick fix that worked for me was to simply delete the Docker settings.json file located at C:\Users\%UserName%\AppData\Roaming\Docker\settings.json and then start Docker Desktop again. When Docker starts it automatically creates a new settings.json file.
I’m running Windows 10 with Docker Desktop 4.9.1.
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Comments
- Why is my Docker engine stopped?
- Why is Docker not working Windows 10?
- What to do if Docker is not running?
- How do I stop Docker containers from stopping?
- Can docker run on Windows Home?
- How do I run Docker daemon on Windows?
- Where is my Docker daemon running?
- What happens when we restart Docker?
- How do I stop Docker daemon in Windows?
Why is my Docker engine stopped?
This happens if you run a foreground container (using docker run ), and then press Ctrl+C when the program is running. When this happens, the program will stop, and the container will exit. The container has been stopped using docker stop : You can manually stop a container using the docker stop command.
Why is Docker not working Windows 10?
Docker Desktop fails to start when anti-virus software is installed. Some anti-virus software may be incompatible with Hyper-V and Microsoft Windows 10 builds. The conflict typically occurs after a Windows update and manifests as an error response from the Docker daemon and a Docker Desktop start failure.
What to do if Docker is not running?
By default, docker container will exit immediately if you do not have any task running on the container. To keep the container running in the background, try to run it with —detach (or -d ) argument.
How do I stop Docker containers from stopping?
According to this answer, adding the -t flag will prevent the container from exiting when running in the background. You can then use docker exec -i -t <image> /bin/bash to get into a shell prompt.
Can docker run on Windows Home?
We are now pleased to announce that we have completed the work to enable experimental support for Windows Home WSL 2 integration. This means that Windows Insider users on 19040 or higher can now install and use Docker Desktop! Feedback on this first version of Docker Desktop for Windows Home is welcomed!
How do I run Docker daemon on Windows?
To start Docker in daemon mode, choose Application > Start «Docker Daemon». The state should transition to «Running» after a few seconds and Docker Daemon should be accessible over the remote bridge. That’s it! Next time your computer boots, Docker Daemon will start up immediately, before anyone logs on.
Where is my Docker daemon running?
Another way to check for a running Docker daemon is by inspecting its process ID file. The daemon writes its process ID to /var/run/docker. pid each time it starts up. When this file exists, Docker should be running and ready for CLI connections.
What happens when we restart Docker?
Docker provides restart policies to control whether your containers start automatically when they exit, or when Docker restarts. Restart policies ensure that linked containers are started in the correct order. Docker recommends that you use restart policies, and avoid using process managers to start containers.
How do I stop Docker daemon in Windows?
To stop Docker when you have started it manually, issue a Ctrl+C in your terminal.
The Error “Docker Desktop stopped…”, is an error that is invoked when you are working on docker and are trying to install it initially.
Given below is the snippet of the error you might get:
Docker Desktop stopped...I would like to share with you the steps I took to fix the “Docker Desktop stopped…”
Why “Docker Desktop stopped…” Error is Seen?
The error, “Docker Desktop stopped…” is seen because this is an error from docker’s technical side itself and this is specific to version 4.5.0 as of now. The error is seen in this specific version 4.5.0 is because the “wslEngineEnabled” is set to false in the configuration files.
The WSL 2 backend is intentionally disabled by default in Desktop 4.5.0, despite the fact that Windows Home is the only environment in which it should be available. This error is fixed in the latest version of docker that is version 4.5.1.
Sometimes a simple restart of docker or your system also seems to solve the problem.
The detailed solution to fix the error “Docker Desktop stopped…”, is given below:
How to fix “Docker Desktop stopped…” Error?
To fix the error, the simplest fix, would be to update the docker desktop to latest version 4.5.1 as this error has been fixed in 4.5.1 version. If you still need to use the version 4.5.0 then you will have to go to the config file at the location C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Docker\settings.json, and set "wslEngineEnabled":true.
Also an alternative solution would be to go to your setting and change WSL engine setting to checked.
To fix the error, “Docker Desktop stopped…”, you will have to follow one of the methods mentioned below depending on your operating system:
Method 1: update Docker to Latest Version 4.5.1
To fix the error you will first have to update your docket to the latest version that is 4.5.1 because this error has been fixed in the latest version of docker. When installing 4.5.1, Docker Desktop on Windows Home will automatically switch back to WSL 2.
This should fix the error “Docker Desktop stopped…”.
Method 2: Changing Settings
If you still face the error and insist on using the version 4.5.0 then you will have to go to the config file at the following location: C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Docker\settings.json, and then change your "wslEngineEnabled": true.
This should fix the error “Docker Desktop stopped…”.
Method 3: Update the Kernal and Delete WSL2
If you still face the error and insist on using the version 4.5.0 then open the settings in your docker app when it shows the erorr that it stopped. You will notice that the WSL engine settings was not checked.
You can check mark the settings and resart your app to check if you still face the error have to downgrade that particular module.
First uninstall the module completely and then install the specific version again regardless if you are using yarn or npm.
This should fix the error “Docker Desktop stopped…”.
Method 4: Downgrade Docker version or Restart Docker
If you still face the error even after following all the above methods then you might have to consider downgrading you dokcer version to version 4.4.4.
The error is specific to the version 4.5.0 and downgrading your docker should fix the problem.
Sometimes a simple resart of your docker app and your computer system also can fix your error.
This should fix the error “Docker Desktop stopped…”.
Conclusion
To fix the error, the simplest fix, would be to update the docker desktop to latest version 4.5.1 as this error has been fixed in 4.5.1 version.
If you still need to use the version 4.5.0 then you will have to go to the config file at the location C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Docker\settings.json, and set "wslEngineEnabled":true.
Also an alternative solution would be to go to your setting and change WSL engine setting to checked.
IF nothing works, sometime a imple system/PC restart should fix the “Docker Desktop stopped…” Error.