Docker Desktop: Unexpected WSL error

[erthrall]

Description

After downloading Docker Desktop and following the installation instructions from this link, I opened the Windows app and skipped the sign in and welcome survey.

Soon afterwards, I received the message shown in the screenshot below.

Reproduce

It is unclear how to reproduce this problem, since this occurred immediately after installation.

Expected behavior

One would expect the Docker Desktop app to be ready to run after installation.

docker version

Client:
 Version:           28.0.1
 API version:       1.48
 Go version:        go1.23.6
 Git commit:        068a01e
 Built:             Wed Feb 26 10:41:52 2025
 OS/Arch:           windows/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

docker info

Client:
 Version:    28.0.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.9.4
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.21.1-desktop.2
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.33.1-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:  v0.1.5
    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:  v1.16.3
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe

Server:
ERROR: error during connect: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2FdockerDesktopLinuxEngine/v1.48/info": open //./pipe/dockerDesktopLinuxEngine: The system cannot find the file specified.
errors pretty printing info

Diagnostics ID

2482B002-72AD-4B74-A36A-456A629F2E6D/20250328014822

Additional Info

No response

[Mino03947]

I encountered the same problem. Diagnostics ID: 740F7D2B-60F0-47D8-88D1-6A1B37E0E869/20250328122634

[vaibhavPH]

I used to get this error often randomly. I found out that error is not basically from docker desktop but due to unresponsiveness of wsl.

Quick fix: Restart WSL by killing its PID

taskkill /F /IM wsl.exe
taskkill /F /IM wslservice.exe
net stop LxssManager
net start LxssManager

More reliable fix:

1. Uninstall Docker Desktop
2. Uninstall and reinstall WSL in a clean way WITHOUT installing any distro e.g don't do wsl --install -d ubuntu, stop after executing wsl --install post uninstallation. You would need to restart your system twice (one after uninstall wsl and then again after re-install docker desktop in next part) .
3. Download latest Docker Desktop and restart your system after installation. Ensure that you disable docker desktop automatic updates. Generally all these issues occure more frequently when you update docker desktop !