Docker Engine unable to start on Windows Server 2019

Docker Engine General
1

Hey all. I am trying to get docker engine to start on my windows VM but it seems like it’s getting hung while trying to listen on //./pipe/docker_engine.
Here is what it looks like when I try to manually run the docker engine executable file in powershell as admin:
PS C:\Users\ad227m> & "e:\docker\dockerd.exe" --data-root e:\docker --config-file e:\docker\config\daemon.json
…

time="2024-12-11T08:29:20.727206600-05:00" level=debug msg="Registering POST, /networks/{id:.*}/connect"

time="2024-12-11T08:29:20.727886100-05:00" level=debug msg="Registering POST, /networks/{id:.*}/disconnect"

time="2024-12-11T08:29:20.728620500-05:00" level=debug msg="Registering POST, /networks/prune"

time="2024-12-11T08:29:20.729300800-05:00" level=debug msg="Registering DELETE, /networks/{id:.*}"

time="2024-12-11T08:29:20.740190200-05:00" level=info msg="API listen on //./pipe/docker_engine"

Here is my config file:

{
  "registry-mirrors": [],
  "insecure-registries": [],
  "debug":true,
  "experimental": false,
  "group":"users",
  "hosts": [
    "npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine"
  ]
}

Have hyper-v enabled:

PS C:\Users\ad227m> Get-WindowsFeature -Name Hyper-V

Display Name                                            Name                       Install State
------------                                            ----                       -------------
[X] Hyper-V                                             Hyper-V                        Installed

Any recommendations are welcome.

2

@vrapolinario can you pitch in?

3

Can you also share how you installed Docker on the server? Did you use the official way described in Microsoft’s documentation?

I’m not sure what the dockerd should log on Windows. Have you tried running docker commands in another powershell?

Have you tried it with an administrator user? I’m not sure who can create named pipes.
I would also check the Windows system logs. Maybe it shows something about blocking the pipe.

1 Like