How to Install Docker on Windows

Docker Desktop brings container-based development to Windows with a GUI, CLI tools, and seamless integration with WSL 2 or Hyper-V. This guide covers system requirements, installation modes, and step-by-step instructions to install Docker Desktop on Windows 10 and Windows 11.

System Requirements

Before you install Docker Desktop, confirm your system meets the minimum requirements.

For WSL 2 backend (recommended):

WSL version 2.1.5 or later
Windows 10 64-bit: Enterprise, Pro, or Education, version 22H2 (build 19045) or later
Windows 11 64-bit: Enterprise, Pro, or Education, version 23H2 (build 22631) or later
64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
8 GB system RAM
Hardware virtualization enabled in BIOS/UEFI

For Hyper-V backend (all-users installation only):

Windows 10 or 11 Pro or Enterprise
Hyper-V and Containers Windows features enabled
Administrator privileges

Note: Docker Desktop does not support Windows Server editions such as Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022. To run containers on Windows Server, refer to Microsoft’s official documentation.

Installation Modes

Docker Desktop on Windows supports two installation modes.

	Per-User (Recommended)	All Users
Install location	`%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\DockerDesktop`	`C:\Program Files\Docker\Docker`
Admin rights to install	Not required	Required
Admin rights to update	Not required	Required
Linux containers backend	WSL 2 only	WSL 2 or Hyper-V
Windows containers	Not supported	Supported

Per-user mode is the recommended choice for most users. It installs without administrator privileges and uses WSL 2 as the only supported backend.

Note: To switch installation modes later, you must uninstall and reinstall Docker Desktop.

Download Docker Desktop for Windows

Choose the installer that matches your processor architecture:

Note: Docker Desktop is free for individuals, small businesses (fewer than 250 employees AND under $10 million in annual revenue), education, and non-commercial open source projects. Enterprises outside those limits require a paid subscription.

How to Install Docker Desktop on Windows

Interactive Installation

Download the installer using one of the links above.
Double-click Docker Desktop Installer.exe to launch it.
When prompted, select your installation mode: Per-user (no admin required) or All users (requires elevation).
On the Configuration page, confirm whether Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V is selected based on your preferred backend. On systems that support only one backend, Docker Desktop selects it automatically.
Follow the installation wizard prompts to authorize and complete the installation.
When the installation finishes, click Close.

Command Line Installation

After downloading Docker Desktop Installer.exe, open a terminal and run the appropriate command for your shell.

PowerShell: Per-user installation (no admin required)

Start-Process 'Docker Desktop Installer.exe' -Wait -ArgumentList 'install', '--user'

PowerShell: All-users installation (run as Administrator)

Start-Process 'Docker Desktop Installer.exe' -Wait install

Command Prompt: Per-user installation

start /w "" "Docker Desktop Installer.exe" install --user

Command Prompt: All-users installation (run as Administrator)

start /w "" "Docker Desktop Installer.exe" install

Add User to the docker-users Group (All-Users Mode Only)

If your administrator account differs from your standard user account, add your user to the docker-users group to access features that require higher privileges:

net localgroup docker-users <your-username> /add

Replace <your-username> with your actual Windows username.

How to Start Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop does not start automatically after installation.

Open the Start menu and search for Docker.
Select Docker Desktop from the results.
The Docker menu displays the Docker Subscription Service Agreement. Review the terms and select Accept to continue.

Docker Desktop starts after you accept the agreement. If you do not accept, Docker Desktop will not run until you open it again and accept the terms.

How to Verify the Docker Installation

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:

docker --version

You should see output similar to:

Docker version 27.x.x, build xxxxxxx

To confirm Docker can pull images and run containers, execute:

docker run hello-world

Docker pulls the hello-world image and prints a confirmation message if the installation is working correctly.

WSL 2 Setup and Verification

If you use the WSL 2 backend, check your installed WSL version before launching Docker Desktop.

Open PowerShell and run:

wsl --version

If no version details appear, you are running the inbox version of WSL, which does not support modern Docker Desktop features. Update it using one of the options below.

Option 1: Update WSL via Terminal

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator and run one of the following:

wsl --install

wsl --update

Restart your machine if prompted.

Option 2: Install WSL via MSI Package

Use this option if Microsoft Store access is blocked by your organization’s security policies.

Go to the WSL GitHub Releases page.
Download the .msi installer from the latest stable release under Assets.
Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

Common Installer Flags

You can pass flags to the installer for silent or customized deployments.

Flag	Description
`--user`	Installs in per-user mode, no admin required
`--quiet`	Suppresses output during installation
`--accept-license`	Accepts the license agreement automatically
`--backend=<wsl-2\|hyper-v\|windows>`	Sets the default backend
`--installation-dir=<path>`	Changes the default install location
`--always-run-service`	Starts `com.docker.service` automatically after install
`--allowed-org=<org name>`	Requires users to sign in as a Docker Hub org member
`--no-windows-containers`	Disables Windows containers integration

For PowerShell, pass flags using the ArgumentList parameter:

Start-Process 'Docker Desktop Installer.exe' -Wait -ArgumentList 'install', '--accept-license', '--user'