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Docker Desktop disappeared after latest update
Description
I just updated Docker to the latest version (Windows 11 - WSL2) by following the update notification in the ui. Now Docker Desktop has completely disappeared from the windows app list/search. When I try to open \Program Files\Docker\Docker\Docker Desktop.exe or \Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\Docker Desktop.exe nothing happens. And when I open Docker Desktop Installer.exe in the same former directory, I get this error:
Installation failed: empty package at Docker.Installer.InstallWorkflow.<DoProcessAsync>d__23.MoveNext()
I had Docker working and updating fine for more than one year before this update and I have important data (local containers) that I don't want to lose.
Is there some known solution to fix this and get Docker back without losing the containers and their data? Thanks.
Reproduce
- Click on the update notification in docker desktop and confirm the update
- Wait for the installation to finish
- Installation screen just disappear without any success or error message
- Docker app is not available anymore and not even present in Settings -> Apps -> Installed apps
docker version
The command 'docker version' is not working anymore. I have a very basic and default installation that uses WSL2 without any custom parameter or configuration.
docker info
The command 'docker info' is not working as well.
Diagnostics ID
Can't open the app and can't run docker command line.
Update: The diagnosis ID is 52959DD5-92E6-438A-ADE7-5EFB1FDD4149/20240906123144
Additional Info
My docker usage is very basic. I either use docker run, docker-compose up, or use the ui to start/stop containers. I let all the parameters in their default state.
@naourass, I am sorry to hear you experienced this issue with the update. Could you please create and upload a diagnostic via the command line, as per instructions here?
@MihaelaStoica
Yes sure, here's the output of the command:
Diagnostics ID: 52959DD5-92E6-438A-ADE7-5EFB1FDD4149/20240906123144 (uploaded)
I'm wondering if I download a fresh docker desktop installation executable and run it, would this delete or mess with the existing containers or their data? Otherwise, is there any known workaround to fix this without losing containers/data ?
Update: Fixed by downloading the installer and running it again. Didn't lose any data.
@connormathenyroots Would you be able to create an upload a diagnostic bundle please?
@naourass, I am happy to hear you restored your Docker Desktop. Yes, downloading the full installer and running it over the broken Docker Desktop instance will preserve your data, as long as you didn't perform an uninstall or a reset to factory defaults on the previous installation.
I can confirm installing the latest update results in Docker Desktop being uninstalled instead.
Same Issue here, today I got to work and found out Docker was gone from my Windows11 workstation (WSL). I assume our patch management system provided by Bitdefender Gravityzone tried installing Docker 4.34.3 since this is the latest version.
Juste happened to me. I even had auto updates disabled in the Docker Desktop settings to prevent it from updating while I'm working.
Juste happened to me. I even had auto updates disabled in the Docker Desktop settings to prevent it from updating while I'm working.
Sorry to hear that you have experienced this!
Are you in a position to send us a diagnostic bundle? Or at minimum the installer logs from C:\ProgramData\DockerDesktop?
Here is everything modified today.
install-log-admin.5.txt install-cli-log-admin.8.txt install-log-admin.4.txt install-cli-log-admin.7.txt install-log-admin.txt install-cli-log-admin.txt
Just reporting: Updated docker yesterday from within the app and it broke - kept on complaining about the docker engine not starting up. I uninstalled, (losing all my work databases etc), downloaded the new docker, installed. It worked fine but on restart the GUI never showed up (I did change it to always startup but start minimized) but it wasn't minimized. It was running in task manager and wsl had docker and it worked, but the GUI app was just gone (not on different screens, just gone). Doing another clean install now. WSL2 Ubuntu 24.04 -> Windows 11 latest stable.
Happened today updating to 4.35.1 (173168) via Docker Desktop on Win11. Far from the first time (it always uninstalls on update), but a reinstall works for me.
Hello. Can someone experimenting the issue send me a diagnostic? 52959DD5-92E6-438A-ADE7-5EFB1FDD4149/20240906123144 has been garbage collected. I took a look at @devhl-labs logs but there are no useful information (it's an upgrade from 4.34.2 to 4.34.3, there is no error during install)
I had check for updates disabled because it updates while im working. Why did it update? Also, i just saw it disable my wsl integration. Second time I've seen that!
And again today, updating from 4.35.1 to 4.36.0. But it appears I've found a cause.
See, Docker Desktop actually installs kubectl, taking presedence over my installed gcloud kubectl. Which is something I definitely do not want.
I've a script to rename the kubectl.exe from Docker to kubectl.exe.disabled, and as far as I can see in the logs this causes the install to crash without any user displayed error and rollback to an apparently uninstalled state.
Attached logs (error messages in Norwegian, I'm afraid). Note that I install Docker Desktop by elevating to admin during install. I do not elevate to install gcloud kubectl. This has significance in how the PATH is built (I cannot simply move gcloud before Docker for my user).
install-cli-log-admin.txt install-log-admin.txt
Edit: Confirmed. Reinstalled and updated to 4.36.0, undoing the rename trick. Works like a charm. Now, as for Docker Desktop installing an unwanted kubectl without letting me opt out that's another matter.
Still an issue in December:
Current version: 4.36.0 (175267)
New version: 4.37.1 (178610)
Download size: 141.3 MB
I had this same thing just happen to me today.
Version 4.37.1
Windows 11 Pro 10.0.26100 Build 26100
@spector32 @binaryn3xus can you please share a diagnostics id?
Sorry for the late reply. I reimaged my machine so unfortunately I don't have that anymore.
Same issue for me. A new available update showed up today and I tried to install it. After a while I notice my existing installation was entirely gone. I don't remember what version I was on before (should have been pretty recent) and didn't notice which one the new was supposed to be but I did read the two lines of release notes and they correspond with 4.37.0.
EDIT: Apparently there was something that went wrong with the installation process as when I tried to reinstall manually the latest version I got an error stating that a process or a file was still in use/locked and the new installation failed. This was hours after the original update had failed. There was nothing suggesting the update was still going on or stuck and it was hours after it had apparently failed so something was definitely off. After a restart the new installation went through as usual and my docker is now running again (at 4.37.1!) with no data loss - all containers still present and they even kept their original running states.
Exact same issue for me today. Diagnostic ID: 3AB6A052-78CA-476C-AECD-1DFCD19823DC/20250213144727
Same issue for me, and I couldn't upload the diagnostics. I'm forbidden :)
My Docker seems to have disappeared today after I started an update.
A box came up with nothing inside it, with two options, kill processes, or refresh. I hit refresh.
Then it showed an installation log window. Then it closed by itself. I don't see anything else.
Windows 11 Home (ARM) 24H2
My Docker seems to have disappeared today after I started an update.
Same issue (again!) for me. I was on 4.38.0 and was alerted about the new version. Pretty much the same flow as what you reported ending up with old installation gone and new stuck in limbo (when I tried install manually after some hours I saw there was a stuck process that was preventing me to do so). I had to restart the host machine and then do a clean install, fortunately with no data loss.
Here for the same thing, Docker Desktop disappeared just now. Haven't touched the installation in who knows how long, I only realized because some services I have set to start on boot are now.. not starting. Running Windows 10 Pro 22H2 (19045.5371).
can you please share a diagnostic id?
I reinstalled Docker (haven't reattempted the update, though).
Diagnostics ID: C13ECAD8-0D08-4D82-AB33-876FE71FA8C4/20250313042555
