Docker Desktop Starts But Fails - ERROR_INVALID_DATA Importing WSL 2 Distros #14890
Description
Description
When running Docker Desktop after installing it on Windows 11, it opens, loads for a bit, then immediately presents me with an error:
It seems to claim that the wsl-bootstrap.tar file contains invalid data. I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling Docker Desktop, reinstalling and updating WSL, running both as administrator, ensuring WSL, Hyper-V and Windows Virtualization are all enabled, but nothing seems to work.
I also get the same error when I open an admin terminal and run the same command it's trying to run.
Reproduce
- Install Docker Desktop
- Open Docker Desktop
- Encounter error and be forced to quit
Expected behavior
Docker Desktop opens normally
docker version
Client:
Version: 28.3.2
API version: 1.51
Go version: go1.24.5
Git commit: 578ccf6
Built: Wed Jul 9 16:12:31 2025
OS/Arch: windows/amd64
Context: desktop-linux
error during connect: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2FdockerDesktopLinuxEngine/v1.51/version": open //./pipe/dockerDesktopLinuxEngine: The system cannot find the file specified.docker info
Client:
Version: 28.3.2
Context: desktop-linux
Debug Mode: false
Plugins:
ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
Version: v1.6.0
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.25.0-desktop.1
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
cloud: Docker Cloud (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.4.2
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-cloud.exe
compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
Version: v2.38.2-desktop.1
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
Version: 0.0.41
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.1.11
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-desktop.exe
extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.2.29
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-extension.exe
init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
Version: v1.4.0
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-init.exe
mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.9.9
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-mcp.exe
model: Docker Model Runner (EXPERIMENTAL) (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.1.33
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-model.exe
sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
Version: 0.6.0
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-sbom.exe
scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
Version: v1.18.1
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe
Server:
error during connect: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2FdockerDesktopLinuxEngine/v1.51/info": open //./pipe/dockerDesktopLinuxEngine: The system cannot find the file specified.Diagnostics ID
7BC4FEDF-F9B6-4A33-A28D-74B614995D48/20250724192850
Additional Info
No response