Starting the Docker Engine... Stunk

Docker Desktop
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Starting the Docker Engine… Stunk and the log show this

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[2025-10-26T12:22:29.254991500Z][com.docker.backend.exe.ipc] (d7f89ea7-291) e11fec20-otelmgr C->S BackendAPI GET /backend/state
[2025-10-26T12:22:29.254991500Z][com.docker.backend.exe.ipc] (d7f89ea7-291) 13cd512f-BackendAPI S<-C e11fec20-otelmgr GET /backend/state
[2025-10-26T12:22:29.254991500Z][com.docker.backend.exe.ipc] (d7f89ea7-291) 13cd512f-BackendAPI S->C e11fec20-otelmgr GET /backend/state (0s): {“docker”:“starting”,“dockerAPI”:“starting”,“idle”:“running”,“mode”:“linux”,“sessionID”:“…”,“state”:“starting”}
[2025-10-26T12:22:29.255546700Z][com.docker.backend.exe.ipc] (d7f89ea7-291) e11fec20-otelmgr C<-S 13cd512f-BackendAPI GET /backend/state (555.2µs): {“docker”:“starting”,“dockerAPI”:“starting”,“idle”:“running”,“mode”:“linux”,“sessionID”:“…”,“state”:“starting”}
[2025-10-26T12:22:29.368619700Z][com.docker.backend.exe.ipc][W] (a7b0e0b9-261) cc192852-engines C<-S ConnectionClosed GET /ping (1.0002614s): Get ": context deadline exceeded
[2025-10-26T12:22:29.469154200Z][com.docker.backend.exe.ipc] (a7b0e0b9-262) cc192852-engines C->S init GET /ping

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Please share the output of this command:

wsl --list --verbose
wsl --version

And share the content of C:\Users\<USERNAME>\.wslconfig + your exact Windows version (win+r → winver)

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Looks good to me. Are you on latest Docker Desktop 4.49.0?
And have you tried if it makes a difference after a restart?

Last week, when I started Docker Desktop it got stuck in “Engine starting” as well. After years; I finally had Docker Desktop problems myself. Of course every other WSL2 distribution was working. I could not even quit the Docker Desktop app. I restarted the machine, and it continued working, like the issue never existed.

Have you tested, if WSL2 distributions generally work? You could try installing a distro and see if it starts.