Windows 11, docker desktop fails to start after a restart of machine

[heedfull]

• I have tried with the latest version of Docker Desktop
• I have tried disabling enabled experimental features
• I have uploaded Diagnostics
• Diagnostics ID: FDE0ABED-6F2B-4CE9-8A81-076F8762BD51/20210913131509

Actual behavior

After my mahcine a restarted docker desktop doesn't start:
"Docker failed to initialize"

System.NullReferenceException:
Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
at Docker.Systray.Systray.ExitThreadCore() in C:\workspaces\PR-16319\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Desktop\Systray\Systray.cs:line 281
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.ExitCommon(Boolean disposing)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ExitInternal()
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.OnThreadException(Exception t)
at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProcException(Exception e)
at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(IntPtr dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
at Docker.Program.Run(IReadOnlyCollection`1 args) in C:\workspaces\PR-16319\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Desktop\Program.cs:line 295

Expected behavior

docker starts without issue

Information

• Is it reproducible?
  Restarting again doesn't fix the issue. I have to uninstall and re-install for docker desktop to work. If I then restart it is broken and I'm back to reinstalling

• Is the problem new?
  since upgrading to windows 11 I've experienced this.

• Did the problem appear with an update?
  not sure

• Windows Version: 11

• Docker Desktop Version: 4.0

• WSL2 or Hyper-V backend? WSL2

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Install docker desktop
2. Restart the machine
3. Try and launch docker desktop

[heedfull]

doing a factory reset meant I could start the docker engine, but not something I want to have to do. Not restarted my system since then. Will let you know if the same issue happens

[mat007]

Thanks for the report. The crash has been fixed and the fix will be available in the next minor version of Docker Desktop (e.g. 4.1.0).

[heedfull]

Thanks for the update.
Any idea when 4.1.0 will be released?
Is there an alpha or beta release I can run?

[mat007]

Probably around the end of the month.
In the meanwhile you can try this internal build which contains the fix.

[Cyanogenbot]

the fix didnt do it for me...

[mat007]

the fix didnt do it for me...

What do you mean by that? Still crashing? With the same stack trace?

[Cyanogenbot]

at first, it did, now after a restart, it mentions cancellation tokens triggers before finishing reading from the stream and won't even show any GUI or Error anymore, most crashes came along with some dotnet just in time errors. additional info is that it does open entities in the taskmanager

[denernun]

Worked for me after install Hyper-V components...tested in two computers

Windows 11 22454
Docker-Desktop 4.0.1

[Cyanogenbot]

that seems to have worked for me too!

[monofunc]

Got same error on 4.0.1 and on linked internal build, found a workaround:

1. Disable Docker startup at launch
2. Restart PC
3. Launch Ubuntu (or any other distro) WSL session
4. Launch Docker Desktop

Windows Version: 11 22454.1000
Docker Desktop Version: 4.0.1

[Lukespacewalker]

@monofunc Thank you so much for the workaround. I confirmed that this works on Windows 11 22458.1000.
Tip for others: If you don't have any distros installed, replace step 3 with Alpine WSL (install it from Microsoft Store first, it should not take more than 30 seconds as it's very small). Then use Windows Terminal to type

wsl --set-default docker-desktop

To set docker-desktop as default distro then type wsl --list --all. The result should be like this

wsl --list --all
Windows Subsystem for Linux Distributions:
docker-desktop (Default)
docker-desktop-data
Alpine

Then you can now launch Docker Desktop.

[heedfull]

I've installed 4.0.1 and still having the same issue.

This error message is being returned before the failed to initiliaze window pops up:

See the end of this message for details on invoking 
just-in-time (JIT) debugging instead of this dialog box.


************** Exception Text **************
System.NullReferenceException: Object reference not set to an instance of an object.
   at Docker.Core.Features.Features.<IsEnabled>d__16.MoveNext() in C:\workspaces\PR-16360\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Core\Features\Features.cs:line 91
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
   at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
   at Docker.App.<Initialize>d__27.MoveNext() in C:\workspaces\PR-16360\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Desktop\App.cs:line 111
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
   at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()


************** Loaded Assemblies **************
mscorlib
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    Win32 Version: 4.8.4425.0 built by: NET48REL1LAST_W
    CodeBase: file:///web.archive.org/web/20260215150058/https://c/Windows/Microsoft.NET/Framework64/v4.0.30319/mscorlib.dll
----------------------------------------
Docker Desktop
    Assembly Version: 1.0.0.0
    Win32 Version: 4.0.1.68347
    CodeBase: file:///web.archive.org/web/20260215150058/https://c/Program%20Files/Docker/Docker/Docker%20Desktop.exe
----------------------------------------
Docker.Core
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    CodeBase: file:///web.archive.org/web/20260215150058/https://c/Program%20Files/Docker/Docker/Docker.Core.DLL
----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
WindowsBase
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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----------------------------------------
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************** JIT Debugging **************
To enable just-in-time (JIT) debugging, the .config file for this
application or computer (machine.config) must have the
jitDebugging value set in the system.windows.forms section.
The application must also be compiled with debugging
enabled.

For example:

<configuration>
    <system.windows.forms jitDebugging="true" />
</configuration>

When JIT debugging is enabled, any unhandled exception
will be sent to the JIT debugger registered on the computer
rather than be handled by this dialog box.

[mat007]

I've installed 4.0.1 and still having the same issue.

Yes, this wasn’t released in 4.0.1. Did you try the link to the internal build I posted?

However from you stack trace this looks like a different error. 🤔

[djedlajn]

I can confirm that after the upgrade to 4.0.1 and restart docker fails to start on the latest build of Windows 11. What did help is enabling Hyper-V as per @denernun suggestion.

[heedfull]

Did you try the link to the internal build I posted?

With the internal build of 4.1.0 Docker engine doesn't even start, even after hours, no error returned.
Please let me know if there is anything I can do to gather logs or more information or newer builds to try.

For now I've rolled back to 4.0.1