Install Docker on Windows

Install Docker on Windows

This guide installs Docker Desktop on Windows 10 / Windows 11.

System Requirements

Step 1 - Download Docker Desktop

Go to the official Docker website and download Docker Desktop for Windows:

https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/

Click "Download for Windows" - it will download a file called Docker Desktop Installer.exe.

Step 2 - Install Docker Desktop

1. Double-click Docker Desktop Installer.exe
2. The installer will ask: "Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V" - leave it checked (recommended)
3. Click OK and wait for installation to finish
4. Click Close and restart - your computer will restart

Step 3 - Start Docker Desktop

After restarting:

1. Open Docker Desktop from the Start Menu
2. Accept the Docker Subscription Service Agreement
3. Wait for Docker to fully start - you will see the whale icon in the system tray

Step 4 - Verify Docker is Installed

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:

docker --version

Expected output

Docker version 27.x.x, build xxxxxxx

docker info

This shows detailed info about your Docker installation - number of containers, images, storage driver, etc.

Step 5 - Run Your First Container

docker run hello-world

Expected output

Hello from Docker!
This message shows that your installation appears to be working correctly.

What happened:

1. Docker looked for the hello-world image locally and did not find it.
2. Docker pulled the image from Docker Hub automatically.
3. Docker created a container from that image.
4. The container ran, printed the message, and exited.

Step 6 - Run a Real Web Server

Let's run nginx (a web server) to confirm everything works:

docker run -d -p 8080:80 --name my-nginx nginx

Now open your browser and go to: http://localhost:8080

You should see the nginx welcome page - a web server running inside a Docker container on your machine.

To stop it:

docker stop my-nginx
docker rm my-nginx

Enable WSL 2 (If Needed)

Docker Desktop uses WSL 2 on Windows. If it was not already installed, Docker will prompt you. If you need to do it manually:

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

Then restart your computer. Docker Desktop will work with WSL 2 automatically.

Common Installation Problems

Problem 1 - Virtualization not enabled

Fix: Restart your computer -> enter BIOS -> enable Intel VT-x (Intel) or AMD-V (AMD) -> save and restart.

Problem 2 - WSL 2 not installed

Fix: Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --update

Problem 3 - Docker Desktop not starting

Fix:

1. Right-click system tray icon
2. Click Restart Docker Desktop

If it still does not start, use Docker Desktop's built-in reset option:

Useful Docker Desktop Settings

Open Docker Desktop -> Settings:

Verify Full Installation

Run all these to confirm everything works:

# Check Docker version
docker --version

# Check Docker Compose version (included with Docker Desktop)
docker compose version

# Check Docker system info
docker info

# Run test container
docker run hello-world

# List downloaded images
docker images

# List running containers
docker ps