Windows containers fail to start after updating to Docker Desktop v4.50.0 — “The container image contains a layer with an unrecognized format.” #14984
Description
Description
After updating Docker Desktop from v4.49.0 to v4.50.0, I can no longer start any of my containers.
Each attempt results in the following error message:
"hcs::CreateComputeSystem c5440df8d36ccea11ed7356155fe05ef919058c980dea6f12ba9641a79b5d2f2: The container image contains a layer with an unrecognized format."
{
"Id": "c5440df8d36ccea11ed7356155fe05ef919058c980dea6f12ba9641a79b5d2f2",
"Created": "2025-08-07T14:46:06.529714Z",
"Path": "powershell -Command $ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'; $ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; .\\start -sa_password $env:sa_password -ACCEPT_EULA $env:ACCEPT_EULA -attach_dbs \\\"$env:attach_dbs\\\" -Verbose",
"Args": [],
"State": {
"Status": "exited",
"Running": false,
"Paused": false,
"Restarting": false,
"OOMKilled": false,
"Dead": false,
"Pid": 0,
"ExitCode": 128,
"Error": "hcs::CreateComputeSystem c5440df8d36ccea11ed7356155fe05ef919058c980dea6f12ba9641a79b5d2f2: The container image contains a layer with an unrecognized format.",
"StartedAt": "2025-11-11T08:04:14.9517707Z",
"FinishedAt": "2025-11-12T07:55:24.4939076Z",
"Health": {
"Status": "starting",
"FailingStreak": 0,
"Log": [
{
"Start": "2025-11-11T09:01:45.5201585+01:00",
"End": "2025-11-11T09:01:48.078408+01:00",
"ExitCode": 0,
"Output": " \r\n-----------\r\n 1\r\n\r\n(1 rows affected)\r\n"
},
{
"Start": "2025-11-11T09:02:18.4095149+01:00",
"End": "2025-11-11T09:02:20.465041+01:00",
"ExitCode": 0,
"Output": " \r\n-----------\r\n 1\r\n\r\n(1 rows affected)\r\n"
},
{
"Start": "2025-11-11T09:02:50.4748771+01:00",
"End": "2025-11-11T09:02:52.179421+01:00",
"ExitCode": 0,
"Output": " \r\n-----------\r\n 1\r\n\r\n(1 rows affected)\r\n"
},
{
"Start": "2025-11-11T09:03:22.1903664+01:00",
"End": "2025-11-11T09:03:24.1348164+01:00",
"ExitCode": 0,
"Output": " \r\n-----------\r\n 1\r\n\r\n(1 rows affected)\r\n"
},
{
"Start": "2025-11-11T09:03:54.1405247+01:00",
"End": "2025-11-11T09:03:55.4230058+01:00",
"ExitCode": 0,
"Output": " \r\n-----------\r\n 1\r\n\r\n(1 rows affected)\r\n"
}
]
}
},
......
To troubleshoot, I deleted all my images and tried pulling them again, but a similar error appeared during the pull process as well:
"hcsshim::PrepareLayer failed in Win32: The container image contains a layer with an unrecognized format. (0xc0370112)"
Reproduce
- Update Docker Desktop to v4.50.0
- Try to start any Windows container
Expected behavior
Containers should start as before without error.
docker version
Client:
Version: 28.5.1
API version: 1.51
Go version: go1.24.8
Git commit: e180ab8
Built: Wed Oct 8 12:19:16 2025
OS/Arch: windows/amd64
Context: desktop-windows
Server: Docker Desktop 4.50.0 (209931)
Engine:
Version: 28.5.1
API version: 1.51 (minimum version 1.24)
Go version: go1.24.8
Git commit: f8215cc
Built: Wed Oct 8 12:16:52 2025
OS/Arch: windows/amd64
Experimental: falsedocker info
Client:
Version: 28.5.1
Context: desktop-windows
Debug Mode: false
Plugins:
ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
Version: v1.9.11
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.29.1-desktop.1
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
Version: v2.40.3-desktop.1
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
Version: 0.0.45
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.2.0
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-desktop.exe
extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.2.31
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: v0.26.0
Path: C:\Users\...\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-mcp.exe
model: Docker Model Runner (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.1.46
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-model.exe
offload: Docker Offload (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.5.10
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-offload.exe
sandbox: Docker Sandbox (Docker Inc.)
Version: v0.5.0
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-sandbox.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: v1.18.3
Path: C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe
Server:
Containers: 3
Running: 0
Paused: 0
Stopped: 3
Images: 4
Server Version: 28.5.1
Storage Driver: windowsfilter
Windows:
Logging Driver: json-file
Plugins:
Volume: local
Network: ics internal l2bridge l2tunnel nat null overlay private transparent
Log: awslogs etwlogs fluentd gcplogs gelf json-file local splunk syslog
CDI spec directories:
/etc/cdi
/var/run/cdi
Swarm: inactive
Default Isolation: hyperv
Kernel Version: 10.0 26200 (26100.1.amd64fre.ge_release.240331-1435)
Operating System: Microsoft Windows Version 25H2 (OS Build 26200.7171)
OSType: windows
Architecture: x86_64
CPUs: 12
Total Memory: 31.64GiB
Name: [My Computer's Name]
ID: 364ab589-70d1-4bbd-b2c7-bcbc60f3c2f0
Docker Root Dir: C:\ProgramData\Docker
Debug Mode: true
File Descriptors: -1
Goroutines: 59
System Time: 2025-11-12T17:34:23.7456731+01:00
EventsListeners: 8
Labels:
com.docker.desktop.address=npipe://\\.\pipe\docker_cli
Experimental: false
Insecure Registries:
ma-nas-marabu.nexus.int:5500
::1/128
127.0.0.0/8
Live Restore Enabled: false
Product License: Community EngineDiagnostics ID
71037795-F1EE-4E7E-8326-FA86FC685DCA/20251112164635
Additional Info
OS: Windows 11 25H2