Docker Engine won't start.

[Collincg]

Description

I encountered an issue with Docker Desktop on my system where it fails to start properly. The following error message appears:

`An unexpected error occurred
Docker Desktop encountered an unexpected error and needs to close.

Search our troubleshooting documentation ⁠to find a solution or workaround. Alternatively, you can gather a diagnostics report and submit a support request or GitHub issue.

running engine: waiting for the Docker API: context deadline exceeded`

This is keeping me from using docker features

Reproduce

1. Open docker
2. That's it. Engine won't start. I can't use any docker commands

Expected behavior

No response

docker version

Client:
 Version:           27.3.1
 API version:       1.47
 Go version:        go1.22.7
 Git commit:        ce12230
 Built:             Fri Sep 20 11:38:18 2024
 OS/Arch:           darwin/arm64
 Context:           desktop-linux

docker info

Client:
 Version:    27.3.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Ask Gordon - Docker Agent (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.0
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-ai
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.18.0-desktop.2
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.30.3-desktop.1
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.37
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Alpha) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.0.15
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-desktop
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-init
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.15.0
    Path:     /Users/collingraff/.docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout

Server:
ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///Users/collingraff/.docker/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
errors pretty printing info

Diagnostics ID

0C740503-AE8C-4859-9967-78B3DFDDB9B4/20241206220228

Additional Info

No response

[ChrisBeWithYou]

Having the same issues on my Windows 11 machine, with the same error message presenting itself after a while. I am unable to download the diagnostics when i click on the button sadly.

Docker Engine never starts. I got it to load once last night but it wouldn't actually pull anything and was very slow to load even settings pages.

Docker Desktop 4.36.0
Fresh install, Hyper-V, VMP, and WSL all enabled in Windows Features
confirmed WSL is enabled and selected via powershell> wsl --set version docker-desktop 2
No other hypervisors installed on my machine.
No change via Troubleshoot>Clean/Purge Data
No change via restarting PC
In referencing similar(ish) issue found here: docker/for-win#14453 , tried to install @andrea-reale 's dev build (https://desktop-stage.docker.com/win/main/amd64/176956/Docker%20Desktop%20Installer.exe) but it won't even launch when opened as administrator.

This is a definite show-stopper and head scratcher. Not sure what else I can possibly configure differently, but I don't have any issues on MacOS or Windows 10 when running Docker. Is this a fresh bug that was introduced in the last build? My org won't let us keep the rollback version so this needs to be addressed please. Let me know if I can provide anything else to help assist/troubleshoot, thanks!

-ChrisBeWithYou

[andrea-reale]

Hi @Collincg, from your diagnostics it looks like your Docker Desktop virtual disk may have ran out of space.

You can increase the disk limit by going to 'Settings -> Resouces -> Virtual Disk Size'.

If Docker Desktop is in a state where it does not let you apply the new settings, you can proceed whith the following unofficial manual recovery steps.

1. Quit Docker Desktop.
2. Open a shell and cd into the directory where the docker desktop disk is located. On macOS, this is typically /Users/$USER/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/vms/0/data/. The directory should contain a Docker.raw file.

$ cd /Users/$USER/Library/Containers/com.docker.docker/Data/vms/0/data/

3. I'd recommend to backup the current disk before manipulating it, for example via:

cp Docker.raw Docker.raw.bak

4. Increse the disk size via the truncate (note the '+' sign in front of the size argument, which means that the maximum size will be increased by that value, 64GB in the example):

$ truncate -s +64GB Docker.raw

5. Start Docker desktop again.

We're aware this is far from being ideal, and we're working at a much better handling of this kind of siutations.

Of course if you do not care too much about the data you currently have in Docker Desktop, a factory reset would also help :)

---

P.S. @Collincg I am assuming you accidentally posted this issue in the for-win issue repository, as I see from your diagnostics you are on MacOS.

---

[EDIT: updated to provide better resolution guidance]

[andrea-reale]

@ChrisBeWithYou , could you please generate a diagnostics bundle and share the id here, so we can take a look at your case? It's possible is different from the reporter's one, as you are using the Windows version while the reporter is on MacOs.

[nsd-dennis]

I'm having the same problem (in Windows) since updating to 4.36.0 (175267) yesterday.
My WSL also was updated to 2.3.26.0.

I generated diagnostics with the ID: 2E177169-17AC-4BF7-BDAC-EE069B844277/20241212091015

[thorsten-l]

I've the same issue with my MacBook Pro M4 Max, macOS 15.2, Diagnostic ID : C737B674-DC6A-472B-9F78-2FF488F0C220/20241218061233

I tried:

1. wiping the system hd
2. reinstalling macOS 15.2
3. installing Docker Desktop 4.36
4. -> engine does not start
5. Update Docker Desktop to version v4.37.0
6. -> engine does not start
7. ... truncate -s +64GB Docker.raw
8. -> engine does not start

Remove docker with:

sudo /Applications/Docker.app/Contents/MacOS/uninstall
sudo rm -fr "/Applications/Docker.app" "$HOME/.docker"
sudo find $HOME/Library \( -type d -a -iname '*docker*' \) -print -exec rm -fr {} \;

and install docker again -> engine does not start

[thorsten-l]

I just tested macOS 15.3 Beta with docker.desktop v4.37.1, but the engine didn't even start.

[thorsten-l]

For your info: With OrbStack (https://orbstack.dev/) everything works fine with the M4 Max. The docker engine starts in a few seconds and i tested it with my KeyCloak-Sample-Environment (nginx,postgres,keycloak,port389,mailhog) (https://github.com/thorsten-l/Keycloak-Sample-Environment)