How to fix Docker Desktop is starting... in Docker

Start with the simplest fix. On Windows, open Task Manager and end all Docker processes (Docker Desktop, Docker Desktop Service, docker.exe). On Mac, use Force Quit (Cmd+Option+Esc) or Activity Monitor.

Then restart Docker Desktop. If it's still stuck after 2-3 minutes, proceed to the next step.

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator and run:

wsl --shutdown

Wait 10 seconds, then start Docker Desktop again. This terminates all WSL instances and forces a clean restart of the Linux subsystem.

The LxssManager service manages WSL distributions. Open Services (services.msc), find 'LxssManager', and restart it. Alternatively, run in PowerShell as Administrator:

Restart-Service LxssManager

If the service fails to start, try stopping it first, waiting 10 seconds, then starting it.

On Windows, a full shutdown clears more cached state than a restart. Hold Shift while clicking Shut Down, or run:

shutdown /s /t 0

After booting up, Docker Desktop often starts successfully. This is particularly effective for issues that appear after waking from sleep.

The Trusted Installer Worker can block Docker startup. Open Task Manager, go to the Details tab, and look for TiWorker.exe.

If it's running with high CPU usage:
1. Right-click TiWorker.exe and select End task
2. Open Services (services.msc) and restart 'Windows Modules Installer'
3. Try starting Docker Desktop again

Some antivirus programs interfere with Docker's virtualization. Temporarily disable your antivirus (Windows Defender, Norton, McAfee, etc.) and try starting Docker.

If Docker starts successfully, add Docker to your antivirus exclusions:
- C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker
- C:\ProgramData\Docker
- %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker

If the Docker WSL distributions are corrupted, remove them so Docker can recreate them:

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

Warning: This will delete all Docker containers, images, and volumes. Back up important data first using docker save and docker export.

After unregistering, restart Docker Desktop. It will recreate the distributions automatically.

On Mac, remove Docker's VM state and data:

rm -rf ~/Library/Group\ Containers/group.com.docker
rm -rf ~/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker
rm -rf ~/.docker

Warning: This deletes all containers, images, and volumes. Restart Docker Desktop afterward to recreate a fresh environment.

If Docker Desktop can briefly open its UI before getting stuck, try resetting to defaults:

1. Open Docker Desktop settings (gear icon)
2. Click the Troubleshoot icon (bug icon)
3. Select 'Reset to factory defaults'

If you can't access the UI, delete the settings file manually:
- Windows: %AppData%\Docker\settings.json
- Mac: ~/Library/Group Containers/group.com.docker/settings.json

Try switching between Windows containers and Linux containers to reset Docker's state:

"C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\DockerCli.exe" -SwitchDaemon

Run this twice to switch away and back to your original mode.

Docker Desktop requires specific Windows features. Run in PowerShell as Administrator:

Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online | Where-Object {$_.FeatureName -match 'Hyper|Virtual|WSL'}

Ensure these are enabled:
- Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux
- VirtualMachinePlatform
- HypervisorPlatform (optional but recommended)

Enable any missing features:

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:Microsoft-Windows-Subsystem-Linux /all /norestart
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

Restart your computer after enabling features.

Generate a diagnostic report to identify the issue:

Windows (PowerShell as Admin):

& "C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\com.docker.diagnose.exe" gather -upload

Mac (Terminal):

/Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/com.docker.diagnose gather -upload

This creates a diagnostics ID you can share with Docker support. Review the output for error messages.

As a last resort, completely remove and reinstall Docker Desktop:

Windows:
1. Uninstall from Settings > Apps
2. Run wsl --unregister docker-desktop and wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data
3. Delete C:\ProgramData\Docker and %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker
4. Restart your computer
5. Download latest Docker Desktop from https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop
6. Install with default settings

Mac:
1. Drag Docker to Trash
2. Delete Docker data folders (see step 8)
3. Restart your Mac
4. Download and install fresh copy