Docker Desktop - Unexpected WSL error

[singeryo]

Description

When attempting to start docker desktop, I now encounter this error everytime, the engine is now basically unusable. I've been using Docker desktop on this machine for over a year. I frequently ran into input/ouput errors, which I resolved by rebooting my machine. Yesterday I tried updating Docker desktop to see if that fixes anything, and this error starting appearing.

Contents of the window log :

deploying WSL2 distributions
terminating WSL distro "docker-desktop": running WSL command wsl.exe C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe --terminate docker-desktop: Il n’existe aucune distribution avec le nom fourni.
Code d’erreur : Wsl/Service/WSL_E_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND
: running WSL command wsl.exe C:\Windows\System32\wsl.exe --terminate docker-desktop: Il n’existe aucune distribution avec le nom fourni.
Code d’erreur : Wsl/Service/WSL_E_DISTRO_NOT_FOUND
: WSL distro not found error
checking if isocache exists: CreateFile \\wsl$\docker-desktop-data\isocache\: The network name cannot be found.

Reproduce

1. Start docker desktop
2. See that this error window appears
3. Tried wsl --shutdown
4. Tried rebooting
5. Tried wsl --update

No results so far

Expected behavior

Docker should open successfully

docker version

Client: 
 Version:           27.5.1
 API version:       1.47
 Go version:        go1.22.11
 Git commit:        9f9e405
 Built:             Wed Jan 22 13:41:44 2025
 OS/Arch:           windows/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

docker info

Client:
 Version:    27.5.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Ask Gordon - Docker Agent (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.7.3
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.20.1-desktop.2
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.32.4-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.38
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Beta) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.4
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-desktop.exe
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-dev.exe
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-extension.exe
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-feedback.exe
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-init.exe
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-sbom.exe
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.16.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe

Server:
ERROR: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2FdockerDesktopLinuxEngine/v1.47/info": context canceled
errors pretty printing info

Diagnostics ID

65D044DD-6C8E-4427-908C-F767FB91AA47/20250219110515

Additional Info

Seems pretty much the same as this issue

[asen-srse]

I have the exact same problem on Windows Server 22

[katwig]

I had an almost identical problem, even if the error message looked slightly different for me. See https://github.com/docker/for-win/issues/14619

Running wsl --update in cmd solved it for me (at first I thought this would hang, but a “software update warning” appeared in the background, which I had to confirm). I'm on Windows 10 Pro.

[AI-DASPR]

First, from the Task Manager program, click on the HV-Host Service option from the Processes tab and run and open the program. Next, on the Services page, from the General tab, click on the WSL Service option and change it from Disabled to Automatic and apply it. Finally, in the same General tab, from the Service Status section, click Start. After completing these steps, run the Docker program.

[ISAF87]

Ran into the same issue after updating to v4.38.0. Before that I never experienced any issues.

First I checked WSL service as explained above, which was running. Next I updated WSL as indicated by @katwig which solved it for me.

[MerriemWeebster]

Turns out the solution was in the error for me. Virtualization was disabled in BIOS settings. Once you go to BIOS go to Advanced Mode then go to the Advanced Tab > CPU Configuration > Enable Intel(VMX) for Intel or SVM Mode for AMD. Also make sure that in Windows Features Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform, and Windows Subsystem for Linux are enabled.

[dvdherron]

I had an almost identical problem, even if the error message looked slightly different for me. See #14619

Running wsl --update in cmd solved it for me (at first I thought this would hang, but a “software update warning” appeared in the background, which I had to confirm). I'm on Windows 10 Pro.

worked for me 🙏🏽

[markheath]

Same issue for me. wsl --update didn't help Diagnostics ID: 77CEFF00-7A66-4730-86BF-9676ABB7041C/20250319124644

[djs55]

Thanks for the reports, it sounds like wsl --update is helping in a lot of cases because Docker now requires a more recent version of WSL 2 (similar to https://github.com/docker/for-win/issues/14714#issuecomment-2880656378 )

@markheath if wsl --update didn't help, could you try again with the latest Docker and open a fresh ticket? Thanks for your help!

[markheath]

Apologies for not updating earlier. After rebooting again, the problem resolved itself.

[djs55]

@markheath thanks for letting me know!

I'll close this issue now but feel free to open a fresh one if something else happens.

[li-songbai]

the same error

[li-songbai]