Docker engine has stopped

I cannot get the docker engine to start.

OS: Mac OS Monterey v12.4, apple m1 pro chip
Docker Desktop Version: 4.25.0
Docker -v version: 24.0.6 build eb223bc

The docker desktop (DD) GUI presents me with “Docker engine stopped”

I’ve tried uninstalling and re-installing DD multiple times now. The entire DD GUI is completely unresponsive and frozen. I can’t uninstall from there, I can’t clear my cache from there. I can’t do anything from the DD GUI.

if I ls /var/run/docker.sock I get the following:

/var/run/docker.sock -> /Users/myuser/.docker/run/docker.sock

If I ls /Users/myuser/.docker/run the directory is EMPTY. is this why the engine won’t start?

HOW can I get docker working on my machine again. This is ridiculous

This situation also happened to me today, but my system is win11, and it could be used normally yesterday, but today it shows docker engine stopped, and my version is also 24.0.6