Docker_engine The system cannot find the file specified

Expected behavior

I had a working docker version and I ran into an issue where you can’t link to a container launched with docker-compose when launching a container outside compose. So I upgraded my version to 1.12 and now nothing works. I expect to see the moby icon in the task bar, and for the docker command to work.

Actual behavior

No moby icon, no indication it’s running at all, except that I see it in the task manager.

Docker ps reports this:

An error occurred trying to connect: Get http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2Fdocker_engine/v1.23/containers/json: open //./pipe/docker_engine: The system cannot find the file specified.

Information

  • the output of:
    • Moby Notification > Diagose & Feedback on Windows

I can’t output this as the moby notification isn’t there.

  • a reproducible case if this is a bug, Dockerfiles FTW
  • page URL if this is a docs issue or the name of a man page
  • host distribution and version ( OSX 10.10.x, OSX 10.11.x, Windows, etc )

Windows 10 Pro x64

I’m not sure what to even look at first to see what is going on. Without any UI.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

Install 1.11
Upgrade to 1.12

I tried going to Control Panel->Programs and Features->Docker->Repair

Ran it, Restarted, Still the same problem:

An error occurred trying to connect: Get http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2Fdocker_engine/v1.24/containers/json: open //./pipe/docker_engine: The system cannot find the file specified.

I tried going to Control Panel->Services->Docker, and restarting it.

Still same problem:
An error occurred trying to connect: Get http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2Fdocker_engine/v1.24/containers/json: open //./pipe/docker_engine: The system cannot find the file specified.

Tried going to Task Manager, I killed the Docker For Windows application, and stopped the service.

Restarted the Docker For Windows

Same error. Noticed that the service didn’t restart.

Restarted the service as well.

Same error.

Restarted the Docker For Windows application.

Same error

Per this issue: Docker 1.12 for windows 10 is not working

I went to Control Panel->Network and Internent->Network Connections->vEthernet(DockerNAT) and disabled IP6

Restarted the service and application

Same error.

I also added a dns entry as per the previous issue.

Restarted the service and application.

Same error.

Went to Hyper-V, removed the MobyLinuxVM
Removed the vEthernet(DockerNat) network connection

Went to services->Docker For Windows and shut it down.

Went to task manager and killed the Docker for WIndows app

Went to Programs and Features->Docker For Windows and repaired it.

Service restarted, windows didn’t, no VM was created. Still same error.

Ran the application from start menu, still same error, no vm, no network…

Now tried uninstalling and reinstalling the stable release.

Still same error.

hmm…

Luckily I had an old install for 1.11. I uninstalled everything, went through my filesystem and deleted anything docker related. Then reinstalled 1.11, was able to use my old access token, and it recreated the vm and it’s all working now. Maybe these issues will be fixed for 1.13?

1 Like

Looks like docker customer support doesn’t care. I was going to upgrade my plan. But after seeing that docker doesn’t care about its product quality and its customers I think I am better with containerization services available in the cloud (aws wink wink).