Docker won't start: checking if isocache exists: CreateFile \\\\wsl$\\docker-desktop-data\\isocache\\: The network name cannot be found.\n\n"}

Docker Desktop
1

Docker won’t start. I’m getting this error.

Docker won’t start: checking if isocache exists: CreateFile \\wsl$\docker-desktop-data\isocache\: The network name cannot be found.\n\n"}

It also won’t let me generate diagnostics using the user interface.

docker error when generating diagnostics
docker error when generating diagnostics1366×768 161 KB

I’m using Windows 10 22H2 Build 19045.2546 at 64 bit and Docker 4.16.3

You can see some logs here for the displayed text errors and the diagnostics.

2

I am experiencing the same issue since Wednesday. Docker won’t start, references a WSL DISTRO error, but I can’t think of any change to WSL2/Hyper-V that could have triggered it.

I get 2 errors in window

    • provisioning docker WSL distros: deploying “docker-desktop”: importing WSL distro “The parameter is incorrect. \r\nError code: Wsl/Service/CreateVm/ConfigureNetworking/E_INVALIDARG\r\n” …
    • checking if isocache exists: CreateFile \wsl$\docker-desktop-data\isocache: The network name cannot be found.

I am using Docker Desktop 4.17.0, Windows 10 21H2

3

I had the same problem:

I run:
wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data

And it worked for me.

2 Likes
4

Note: be aware that this command deletes the wsl distribution that stores the state of the docker engine. All data (=containers, images, volumes, networks,…) will be permanently lost and need to be recreated.

1 Like
5

This worked for me perfectly! (and fortunately I could afford to lose everything contained within)

6

Having this same issue, and the suggested approach does not work for me.

Have tried reinstalling but no joy. Never been able to start Docker Desktop.

Anybody else run into this have an alternative solution?

7

I get this error after Windows restarts. I confirm that WSL and docker-desktop is in a bad state by trying:
wsl -d docker-desktop echo hello world!

When that fails, I restart these services:

wsl --shutdown
powershell restart-service vmms
powershell restart-service vmcompute

Then when I rerun the echo command above, it actually works. docker-desktop distribution is behaving. When I launch Docker Desktop, it loads up.

Note, that I am using the latest WSL version. You can update yours with: wsl --update --web-download

9 Likes
8

For me, what solved the problem was updating WSL with this command: wsl --update --web-download

3 Likes
9

Updating wsl resolved this issue for me too. It’s silly that there’s no relevant error message that leads a user to investigating a wsl upgrade.

This should be the resolution: wsl --update --web-download

10

Running wsl --update --web-download with admin, it resolved the issue.

1 Like
11

Running wsl --update --web-download worked for me after hours of trying so many things.