Docker engine does not start after update to 4.33.1 / issue with Docker Desktop Privileged Helper and elevation

[phillies]

Description

After updating Docker Desktop from 4.32 to 4.33.1 the engine does not start anymore. During the start attempt a "Docker Desktop Privileged Helper" tries to install something / requests elevation. When granted, the engine start goes directly over to engine shutdown. The engine tries to restart after the shutdown, resulting in again the "Docker Desktop Privileged Helper" request.
Denying the request leads to an error message that an wsl update failed and Docker Desktop closes.
Uninstalling 4.33.1 and reinstalling 4.32 works.

Reproduce

1. Install docker 4.32 on Windows 11 (installer from docker website)
2. Update docker to latest version shown in Docker Desktop (4.33.1)
3. Start Docker Desktop
4. Elevation request from Docker Desktop Privileged Helper pops up, clicking on yes closes it and docker engine tries to start, then immediately shuts down again and Docker Desktop Privileged Helper window appears again. Clicking No leads to wsl update error.

Expected behavior

Docker Desktop Privileged Helper window should close after clicking on yes

docker version

Client:
 Version:           27.0.3
 API version:       1.46
 Go version:        go1.21.11
 Git commit:        7d4bcd8
 Built:             Sat Jun 29 00:01:25 2024
 OS/Arch:           linux/amd64
 Context:           default
Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///web.archive.org/web/20250825224554/https://var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?

docker info

Client:
 Version:    27.0.3
 Context:    default
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.15.1-desktop.1
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-buildx
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.28.1-desktop.1
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-compose
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.32
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-debug
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-dev
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.25
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-extension
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-feedback
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.3.0
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/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:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-sbom
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.10.0
    Path:     /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-scout
WARNING: Plugin "/usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-scan" is not valid: failed to fetch metadata: fork/exec /usr/local/lib/docker/cli-plugins/docker-scan: no such file or directory

Server:
ERROR: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at unix:///web.archive.org/web/20250825224554/https://var/run/docker.sock. Is the docker daemon running?
errors pretty printing info

Diagnostics ID

4D2EDD9D-1FB0-42E7-97D1-7363EB0FFA15/20240805142824

Additional Info

No response

[telsaleh]

Same problem with version 4.33.1 (on Windows 11). Tried also running as Admin, but dashboard just keeps looping between Docker Starting and Stopping.

Diagnostics ID

D594353A-A820-4B7E-B26F-1E146A9BDBF0/20240805184808

[TotallyNotYT]

Having the same issue

[Danyalalam]

same issue
28A128F9-4210-484E-A792-8872A6E0F3E4/20240806110933

[andrea-reale]

Hey all, I have shared a development build that should avoid this loop of "WSL Update required" prompts #13806 (comment). Feel free to try that out and report any feedback!

(Please, also note that custom WSL2 kernels are not officially supported in Docker Desktop - some of the diagnostics shared in this and other threads point to that as a common source of the problem)

[Pierstoval]

I have the same kind of issue: just updated, now Docker doesn't start.

I rolled back to 4.32.0 and it doesn't start either (while it was 4.32.0 yesterday and it worked perfectly).
I tried with your build @andrea-reale, but it didn't work either.

I'm starting to rip my hair out of my head, so I'll take a rest and come back after that, maybe I'll have fresh ideas on how to fix this 😅

[Danyalalam]

Hey, i just reinstalled the docker and its fixed now

[andrea-reale]

I'm starting to rip my hair out of my head, so I'll take a rest and come back after that, maybe I'll have fresh ideas on how to fix this

Hey @Pierstoval , please do not rip your hair off your head! Do instead upload and share a diagnostics bundle if you can, and we'll happily take a look.

[telsaleh]

Thanks @andrea-reale. Tried with your build but now I get another error. Sounds like a factory reset might be required, but would rather check first before destroying all the containers.

Diagnostic ID: D594353A-A820-4B7E-B26F-1E146A9BDBF0/20240806200453

[egbakou]

I encountered the same issue.
Installing version 4.33.0 worked for me(workaround)

[Pierstoval]

@andrea-reale I reinstalled v4.33.1, went to the "Troubleshoot" settings tab, purged data and reset to factory defaults

Version : 4.33.1 (161083)
Engine: 27.1.1
Compose: v2.29.1-desktop.1
Credential Helper: v0.8.2
Kubernetes: v1.30.2

Docker engine doesn't start, so here's the diagnose check output:

Click to expand

& "C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker\resources\com.docker.diagnose.exe" check
Starting diagnostics

[2024-08-07T07:56:58.986581200Z][com.docker.diagnose.exe.ipc] 954252a1-diagnose -> \\.\pipe\dockerBackendApiServer BackendAPI
[2024-08-07T07:56:58.990581900Z][com.docker.diagnose.exe.ipc] (f2de6b5b) 954252a1-diagnose C->S BackendAPI POST /idle/make-busy
[2024-08-07T07:56:58.992807900Z][com.docker.diagnose.exe.ipc] (f2de6b5b) 954252a1-diagnose C<-S dcb6ef43-BackendAPI POST /idle/make-busy (2.226ms): 0xc00067f450
[2024-08-07T07:56:59.992195500Z][com.docker.diagnose.exe.ipc] (f2de6b5b-1) 954252a1-diagnose C->S BackendAPI GET /idle
[2024-08-07T07:56:59.995147600Z][com.docker.diagnose.exe.ipc] (f2de6b5b-1) 954252a1-diagnose C<-S dcb6ef43-BackendAPI GET /idle (2.8429ms): {"apisInFlight":{"/v1.46/info":1,"heartbeat":1},"booted":true,"busyReason":["in-flight APIs: map[/v1.46/info:1 heartbeat:1]","timed activities: map[/idle/make-busy:28998420600 Go-http-client/1.1 /grpc:10535343300 dial//run/guest-services/volume-contents.sock:54346122200 write//run/guest-services/volume-contents.sock:54350002900]"],"timedActivities":{"/idle/make-busy":"float64","Go-http-client/1.1 /grpc":"float64","dial//run/guest-services/volume-contents.sock":54346122200,"write//run/guest-services/volume-contents.sock":54350002900},"vmRunning":true}
[PASS] DD0027: is there available disk space on the host?
[SKIP] DD0028: is there available VM disk space?
[SKIP] DD0002: does the bootloader have virtualization enabled?
[SKIP] DD0018: does the host support virtualization?
[PASS] DD0001: is the application running?
[SKIP] DD0022: is the Virtual Machine Platform Windows Feature enabled?
[SKIP] DD0021: is the WSL 2 Windows Feature enabled?
[PASS] DD0024: is WSL installed?
[PASS] DD0025: are WSL distros installed?
[PASS] DD0026: is the WSL LxssManager service running?
[PASS] DD0029: is the WSL 2 Linux filesystem corrupt?
[PASS] DD0035: is the VM time synchronized?
[PASS] DD0017: can a VM be started?
[PASS] DD0016: is the LinuxKit VM running?
[FAIL] DD0004: is the Docker engine running? Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine_linux. Is the docker daemon running?
[PASS] DD0015: are the binary symlinks installed?
[FAIL] DD0031: does the Docker API work? prereq failed: is the Docker engine running?
[PASS] DD0013: is the $PATH ok?
[FAIL] DD0003: is the Docker CLI working? prereq failed: is the Docker engine running?
[PASS] DD0005: is the user in the docker-users group?
[FAIL] DD0038: is the connection to Docker working? prereq failed: is the Docker engine running?
[PASS] DD0014: are the backend processes running?
[PASS] DD0007: is the backend responding?
[SKIP] DD0009: is the vpnkit API responding?
[PASS] DD0010: is the Docker API proxy responding?
[SKIP] DD0006: is the Docker Desktop Service responding?
[FAIL] DD0030: is the image access management authorized? prereq failed: is the Docker engine running?
[PASS] DD0033: does the host have Internet access?
[PASS] DD0002: does the bootloader have virtualization enabled?
[PASS] DD0018: does the host support virtualization?
[PASS] DD0001: is the application running?
[PASS] DD0022: is the Virtual Machine Platform Windows Feature enabled?
[PASS] DD0021: is the WSL 2 Windows Feature enabled?
[PASS] DD0024: is WSL installed?
[PASS] DD0025: are WSL distros installed?
[PASS] DD0026: is the WSL LxssManager service running?
[PASS] DD0029: is the WSL 2 Linux filesystem corrupt?
[PASS] DD0035: is the VM time synchronized?
[PASS] DD0017: can a VM be started?
[PASS] DD0016: is the LinuxKit VM running?
[WARN] DD0004: is the Docker engine running? Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine_linux. Is the docker daemon running?
[PASS] DD0015: are the binary symlinks installed?
[WARN] DD0031: does the Docker API work? prereq failed: is the Docker engine running?
[WARN] DD0032: do Docker networks overlap with host IPs? prereq failed: does the Docker API work?

Please note the following 3 warnings:

1 : The check: is the Docker engine running?
    Produced the following warning: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine_linux. Is the docker daemon running?

The Docker engine manages all containers and images on the host. Check the dockerd.log to see why it failed to start.

2 : The check: does the Docker API work?
    Produced the following warning: prereq failed: is the Docker engine running?

If the Docker API is not available from the host then Docker Desktop will not work correctly.

3 : The check: do Docker networks overlap with host IPs?
    Produced the following warning: prereq failed: does the Docker API work?

If the subnet used by a Docker network overlaps with an IP used by the host, then containers
won't be able to contact the overlapping IP addresses.

Try configuring the IP address range used by networks: in your docker-compose.yml.
See https://docs.docker.com/compose/compose-file/compose-file-v2/#ipv4_address-ipv6_address


Please investigate the following 1 issue:

1 : The test: is the Docker engine running?
    Failed with: Cannot connect to the Docker daemon at npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine_linux. Is the docker daemon running?

The Docker engine manages all containers and images on the host. Check the dockerd.log to see why it failed to start.

Also, here's my %HOME%/.wslconfig file:

[wsl2]
kernelCommandLine=ipv6.disable=1
memory=20GB
swap=4GB
localhostForwarding=true
processors=4

[experimental]
sparseVhd=true

I also have the failed to unregister WSL docker-desktop distro: Accès refusé. error now when I want to refresh WSL's integration in the Settings > Resources > WSL Integration panel.