Install Docker Desktop on Windows

This blog contains the download URL, information about system requirements, and instructions on how to install Docker Desktop for Windows.

Docker Desktop for Windows - x86_64
Docker Desktop for Windows - Arm (Beta)

System requirements

Should I use Hyper-V or WSL?

Docker Desktop’s functionality remains consistent on both WSL and Hyper-V, without a preference for either architecture. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, depending on your setup and planned use case.

• WSL version 1.1.3.0 or later
• Windows 11 64-bit: Home or Pro version 22H2 or higher, or Enterprise or Education version 22H2 or higher
• Windows 10 64-bit: Minimum required is Home or Pro 22H2 (build 19045) or higher, or Enterprise or Education 22H2 (build 19045) or higher

Turn on the WSL 2 feature on Windows. For detailed instructions, refer to the Microsoft documentation.

Hardware prerequisites for WSL 2 on Windows 10 or 11

• 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
• 4GB system RAM
• Enable hardware virtualization in BIOS. For more information, see Virtualization.

Note: Docker only supports Docker Desktop on Windows versions that are still within Microsoft’s servicing timeline. Docker Desktop is not supported on server versions of Windows, such as Windows Server 2019 or Windows Server 2022. For more information, see Microsoft’s official documentation.

Installation

Install Docker Desktop on Windows

Install interactively

1. Download the installer from the download button at the top of the page or from the release notes.
2. Double-click Docker Desktop Installer.exe to run the installer.
3. Follow the installation instructions to authorize the installer and complete the install.

If your administrator account is different from your user account, add the user to the docker-users group:

1. Run Computer Management as an administrator.
2. Navigate to Local Users and Groups > Groups > docker-users.
3. Right-click to add the user to the group.
4. Sign out and sign back in for the changes to take effect.

Install from the command line

After downloading Docker Desktop Installer.exe, run the following command:

"Docker Desktop Installer.exe" install

If using PowerShell:

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

If using Windows Command Prompt:

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

The install command accepts several flags:

• --quiet: Suppresses information output during install
• --accept-license: Accepts the Docker Subscription Service Agreement upfront
• --no-windows-containers: Disables the Windows containers integration

Starting Docker Desktop

Docker Desktop does not start automatically after installation. To start Docker Desktop:

1. Search for Docker and select Docker Desktop from the search results.

For more information, see the Docker Desktop Subscription Service Agreement.