Docker forever in "Docker is starting.." at Windows task

I have installed a Docker stable version, and it took forever to start. Until now I have not seen the notification showing Docker is running. I can only see the Docker icon at the taskbar, showing Docker is starting.

I am running on Windows 10 Pro, Intel Core 2 Duo E8500, supporting virtualization.

Thanks to https://github.com/docker/for-win/issues/7050, you should just simply run these two lines of commands inside powerShell: First Exit docker hub desktop, then run these commands in PowerShell:

wsl --unregister docker-desktop
wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data

> Important Note: As @ Nachtalb said "I think it should be noted that > this removes all docker containers and data. (WLS: Unregisters the > distribution and deletes the root filesystem.)"

This is followed by docker/for-win issue 487 and mostly: issue 482.

The Diagnose and Feedback menu should allow you to access the logs which are in:

 %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\log.txt

It will generate a zip file with said logs and other information.

The default recommendation is:

> - Reset to factory defaults (from the whale menu, Settings, reset)

• If that doesn't work, manually uninstall docker and download the latest installer from https://docs.docker.com/docker-for-windows/

But sometimes, all the options in the "Reset" pane are grayed out.

For testing, desactivating the AV (AntiVirus) is an option (again, just to be tested).

Check also the state of your Network adapater in the device manager.

If you have a third-party network product like a VPN (for instance https://www.zerotier.com/), try and uninstall it before restarting docker.

Resetting Hyper-V could help:

> Go to "Turn Windows features on or off", disable all Hyper-V related features, reboot, then Docker should ask if it can enable and reboot for you.
Let it do that and see if it's fixed. If not I'd probably try manually re-enabling Hyper-V.

Similarly:

> I had a problem with most recent version. I uninstalled it, removed all docker folders and server and virtual switch from hyper-v and then reinstalled and it worked.

Check if you don't have some IP address already in use.
Finally, you can perform some Hyper-V tests.

Personally, the most non-destructive method for myself has been to use:

1. wsl --terminate docker-desktop
2. wsl --terminate docker-desktop-data
3. Close Docker Desktop GUI (cancel/close any error messages)
4. Start Docker Desktop again.

Docker then indicates its starting the wsl services during it's start process and my issues are resolved.

Other methods (like register/unregister) tend to be much more destructive and I lose configuration/data/volumes.

I guess you are using wsl2 features. In that case, open PowerShell or command prompt and type: optionalfeatures.exe

scroll down and uncheck

> Windows Subsystem for Linux

apply the changes and restart your computer.

After restart follow the previous steps again and check

> Windows Subsystem for Linux

and restart again. Hopefully now your docker will run

Work for me in powersheell in 17/10/2018

It looks like Hyper-V didn't get installed correctly either Try to remove them, then install manually to see if that helps. Make sure you run powershell as an admin

• Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName microsoft-hyper-v -online
  • (wait, sometimes until now you have decided, if not, continue)
  • restart-computer
• Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Microsoft-Hyper-V -All
• restart-computer
• Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName Containers -All

or

• run MOFCOMP %SYSTEMROOT%\System32\WindowsVirtualization.V2.mof in powershell
• restarting the Hyper-V Management service

This is what worked for me. In my case, docker uses WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V.

• Type optionalfeatures in Windows search and hit Enter
• Scroll down to Hyper-V. This checkbox was selected for me.
• Deselect the checkbox and hit OK
• Let Windows finish disabling the feature. When completed, hit Restart now
• After restart, docker will start automatically very quickly

UPDATE

Looks like in Docker for Windows version: 17.09.0-ce-win33 (13620) they fixed the problem

---

This is an annoying problem that docker for Windows has. The latests versions have minimized it a lot but it still happens.

1. Check if docker for Windows will start when windows starts (this is the default behavior) if not check it.
2. Shutdown the machine. No restart. Shutdown.

Everytime you find this problem just shutdown the machine. The next time Windows boot docker will start very fast.

I know it looks esoteric but it works.

Just solved this issue. Not sure if it would help in your case but for me it was the PATH env variable that was not set up properly. Checking the diagnostics logs I was getting "powershell not found" and "docker not found" etc

The solution for me was to add everything to the PATH environment variable:

%SystemRoot%\system32; // Stuff like bash, wsl
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0; // powershell itself
C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\bin; // docker-compose etc
// edit 
C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources // docker itself

It might vary for your setup though

I had the same problem and nothing above helps. I typed

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto 

and after that I restart my PC. After that docker starts normally :) Finally.

Restarted Docker Desktop in Admin mode and it worked for me.

If your internet is running behind proxy - you should enter proxy settings in "Proxies" tab of docker's configuration window - that worked for me.

Go to Exploit Protection >Program Settings

Disable CFG of both

1.C:\Windows\System32\vmwp.exe

2.C:\Windows\System32\vmcompute.exe

For mine it works when I got Task Manager-> Startup->Disable Docker

Open Docker and it will run.

For me it was vmms service, that was disabled manually.
Check your ability to create virtual machines through powershell

Ctrl + Alt + Del => Task Manager => start up=> click on programs and click on disable => close task manager => Restart PC

If your docker takes forever to load the engine, just go to task manager and disable some running apps. It worked for me. Follow the steps

I got it working by:

1. stopping/killing everything in task manager that had the word "docker" in it.
2. unregistering all wsl2 distributions
3. install the WSL2 distribution I needed.
4. start docker desktop and wait about 5 minutes - success!

Powershell as admin:

wsl -l

Repeat for each distribution

wsl --unregister <name of distribution>

Install the one you require

wsl --install -d <name of distribution>

Enable VM platform and update wsl solve my issue:

• Search turn Windows features on or off > tick Virtual Machine Platform checkbox
  
• Run command prompt with adminstrator mode, and execute wsl --update
  

After restarting system, I am able to run docker.

For me I got Avast antivirus installed somehow, once I uninstalled Avast it worked. Here https://github.com/docker/for-win/issues/3764 I see someone had the same issue with Norton.