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Windows 10 · Windows 11

Docker Desktop for Windows

Run Linux containers on a Windows PC as if they were native. Docker Desktop for Windows sits on top of WSL 2, plugs into PowerShell and VS Code, and keeps your files shared between both worlds.

Get Docker Desktop for Windows Check requirements

Is your PC ready?

Before installing Docker Desktop for Windows, make sure these boxes are ticked. Most machines bought in the last few years pass without changes.

  • Windows editionHome, Pro, Enterprise or Education
  • VersionWindows 10 22H2 or Windows 11
  • Processor64-bit with SLAT support
  • Memory4 GB RAM or more
  • BIOS / UEFIHardware virtualization on

WSL 2 or Hyper-V backend?

Docker Desktop for Windows can run on either engine. WSL 2 is the default and the better choice for most people.

Recommended

WSL 2

Works on every Windows edition including Home. Memory is handed back to Windows when containers idle, file access inside the Linux filesystem is fast, and you can open your distro straight from the terminal.

Legacy option

Hyper-V

Available on Pro, Enterprise and Education. It reserves a fixed slice of memory for a hidden virtual machine and suits setups where WSL is blocked by company policy.

Prepare WSL 2 in one command

Open PowerShell as administrator. If WSL is already installed, the update command makes sure the kernel is current.

wsl --install
wsl --update
wsl --set-default-version 2

Setting up Docker Desktop on Windows

  1. 1

    Run the installer

    Launch the downloaded .exe and leave “Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V” checked.

  2. 2

    Restart Windows

    The installer enables system features that only take effect after a reboot.

  3. 3

    Accept and start

    Open Docker Desktop from the Start menu and wait for the status to turn green in the bottom corner.

  4. 4

    Connect your distro

    In Settings → Resources → WSL integration, switch on your Ubuntu or other distro to use docker inside it too.

Linux containers and Windows containers

Docker Desktop for Windows can switch between two container types from the tray menu.

Linux containersWindows containers
Default modeYesNo, switch manually
Base imagesAlpine, Debian, Ubuntu and moreWindows Server Core, Nano Server
Typical useWeb apps, APIs, databases.NET Framework and legacy Windows apps
Windows editionsAll supported editionsPro, Enterprise, Education

Docker Desktop for Windows: common fixes

“WSL 2 installation is incomplete”

Run wsl --update in an administrator PowerShell, restart the computer and open Docker Desktop again.

Docker eats too much memory

Create a .wslconfig file in your user folder and set a memory limit, for example memory=4GB, then restart WSL with wsl --shutdown.

Does it work on Windows 10 Home?

Yes. Home edition uses the WSL 2 backend, which needs no Hyper-V.

Projects on drive C: are slow

Keep source code inside the WSL filesystem, such as your home folder in Ubuntu. Cross-filesystem access is much slower than native access.