---
description: How to install Docker Desktop for Windows
keywords: windows, install, download, run, docker, local
title: Install Docker Desktop on Windows
redirect_from:
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- /docker-ee-for-windows/install/
- /docker-for-windows/install-windows-home/
- /docker-for-windows/install/
- /ee/docker-ee/windows/docker-ee/
- /engine/installation/windows/
- /engine/installation/windows/docker-ee/
- /install/windows/docker-ee/
- /install/windows/ee-preview/
- /installation/windows/
---

> **Docker Desktop terms**
>
> Commercial use of Docker Desktop in larger enterprises (more than 250
> employees OR more than $10 million USD in annual revenue) requires a paid
> subscription.

Welcome to Docker Desktop for Windows. This page contains information about Docker Desktop for Windows system requirements, download URL, instructions to install and update Docker Desktop for Windows.

> Download Docker Desktop for Windows
>
> [Docker Desktop for Windows](https://desktop.docker.com/win/main/amd64/Docker%20Desktop%20Installer.exe){: .button .primary-btn }

_For checksums, see [Release notes](../release-notes.md)_

## System requirements

Your Windows machine must meet the following requirements to successfully install Docker Desktop.

<ul class="nav nav-tabs">
<li class="active"><a data-toggle="tab" data-target="#win-wsl2">WSL 2 backend</a></li>
<li><a data-toggle="tab" data-target="#win-hyper-v">Hyper-V backend and Windows containers</a></li>
</ul>
<div class="tab-content">
<div id="win-wsl2" class="tab-pane fade in active" markdown="1">

### WSL 2 backend

- Windows 11 64-bit: Home or Pro version 21H2 or higher, or Enterprise or Education version 21H2 or higher.
- Windows 10 64-bit: Home or Pro 21H1 (build 19043) or higher, or Enterprise or Education 20H2 (build 19042) or higher.
- Enable the WSL 2 feature on Windows. For detailed instructions, refer to the
  [Microsoft documentation](https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/install-win10){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_"}.
- The following hardware prerequisites are required to successfully run
  WSL 2 on Windows 10 or Windows 11:

  - 64-bit processor with [Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_"}
  - 4GB system RAM
  - BIOS-level hardware virtualization support must be enabled in the
    BIOS settings. For more information, see
    [Virtualization](../troubleshoot/topics.md#virtualization).

- Download and install the [Linux kernel update package](https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/wsl/wsl2-kernel){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_"}.

</div>
<div id="win-hyper-v" class="tab-pane fade" markdown="1">

### Hyper-V backend and Windows containers

- Windows 11 64-bit: Pro version 21H2 or higher, or Enterprise or Education version 21H2 or higher.
- Windows 10 64-bit: Pro 21H1 (build 19043) or higher, or Enterprise or Education 20H2 (build 19042) or higher.

  For Windows 10 and Windows 11 Home, see the system requirements in the [WSL 2 backend](#wsl-2-backend){: data-toggle="tab" data-target="#win-wsl2" } tab.

- Hyper-V and Containers Windows features must be enabled.
- The following hardware prerequisites are required to successfully run Client
  Hyper-V on Windows 10:

  - 64 bit processor with [Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Level_Address_Translation){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_"}
  - 4GB system RAM
  - BIOS-level hardware virtualization support must be enabled in the
    BIOS settings. For more information, see
    [Virtualization](../troubleshoot/topics.md#virtualization).

</div>
</div>

> **Note**
>
> Docker only supports Docker Desktop on Windows for those versions of Windows 10 that are still within [Microsoft’s servicing timeline](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/13853/windows-lifecycle-fact-sheet){:target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_"}.

Containers and images created with Docker Desktop are shared between all
user accounts on machines where it is installed. This is because all Windows
accounts use the same VM to build and run containers. Note that it is not possible to share containers and images between user accounts when using the Docker Desktop WSL 2 backend.

Running Docker Desktop inside a VMware ESXi or Azure VM is supported for Docker Business customers.
It requires enabling nested virtualization on the hypervisor first.
For more information, see [Running Docker Desktop in a VM or VDI environment](../vm-vdi.md).

### About Windows containers

Looking for information on using Windows containers?

* [Switch between Windows and Linux containers](../faqs/windowsfaqs.md#how-do-i-switch-between-windows-and-linux-containers)
  describes how you can toggle between Linux and Windows containers in Docker Desktop and points you to the tutorial mentioned above.
- [Getting Started with Windows Containers (Lab)](https://github.com/docker/labs/blob/master/windows/windows-containers/README.md)
  provides a tutorial on how to set up and run Windows containers on Windows 10, Windows Server 2016 and Windows Server 2019. It shows you how to use a MusicStore application
  with Windows containers.
- Docker Container Platform for Windows [articles and blog
  posts](https://www.docker.com/microsoft/) on the Docker website.

> **Note**
>
> To run Windows containers, you need Windows 10 or Windows 11 Professional or Enterprise edition.
> Windows Home or Education editions will only allow you to run Linux containers.

## Install Docker Desktop on Windows

### Install interactively

1. Double-click **Docker Desktop Installer.exe** to run the installer.

   If you haven't already downloaded the installer (`Docker Desktop Installer.exe`), you can get it from
   [**Docker Hub**](https://hub.docker.com/editions/community/docker-ce-desktop-windows/).
   It typically downloads to your `Downloads` folder, or you can run it from
   the recent downloads bar at the bottom of your web browser.

2. When prompted, ensure the **Use WSL 2 instead of Hyper-V** option on the Configuration page is selected or not depending on your choice of backend.

   If your system only supports one of the two options, you will not be able to select which backend to use.

3. Follow the instructions on the installation wizard to authorize the installer and proceed with the install.

4. When the installation is successful, click **Close** to complete the installation process.

5. If your admin account is different to your user account, you must add the user to the **docker-users** group. Run **Computer Management** as an **administrator** and navigate to **Local Users and Groups** > **Groups** > **docker-users**. Right-click to add the user to the group.
   Log out and log back in for the changes to take effect.

### Install from the command line

After downloading **Docker Desktop Installer.exe**, run the following command in a terminal to install Docker Desktop:

```
"Docker Desktop Installer.exe" install
```

If you’re using PowerShell you should run it as:

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

If using the Windows Command Prompt:

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

The install command accepts the following flags:

- `--quiet`: suppresses information output when running the installer
- `--accept-license`: accepts the [Docker Subscription Service Agreement](https://www.docker.com/legal/docker-subscription-service-agreement){: target="_blank" rel="noopener" class="_"} now, rather than requiring it to be accepted when the application is first run
- `--no-windows-containers`: disables Windows containers integration
- `--allowed-org=<org name>`: requires the user to sign in and be part of the specified Docker Hub organization when running the application
- `--backend=<backend name>`: selects the default backend to use for Docker Desktop, `hyper-v`, `windows` or `wsl-2` (default)

If your admin account is different to your user account, you must add the user to the **docker-users** group:

```
net localgroup docker-users <user> /add
```

## Start Docker Desktop

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

1. Search for Docker, and select **Docker Desktop** in the search results.

   ![search for Docker app](images/docker-app-search.png){:width="300px"}

2. The Docker menu (![whale menu](images/whale-x.svg){: .inline}) displays the Docker Subscription Service Agreement window.

   {% include desktop-license-update.md %}

3. Select **Accept** to continue. Docker Desktop starts after you accept the terms.

   > **Important**
   >
   > If you do not agree to the terms, the Docker Desktop application will close and you can no longer run Docker Desktop on your machine. You can choose to accept the terms at a later date by opening Docker Desktop.
   {: .important}

   For more information, see [Docker Desktop Subscription Service Agreement](https://www.docker.com/legal/docker-subscription-service-agreement/). We recommend that you also read the [FAQs](https://www.docker.com/pricing/faq){: target="\_blank" rel="noopener" class="*" id="dkr_docs_desktop_install_btl"}.


## Updates

{% include desktop-update.md %}

## Uninstall Docker Desktop

To uninstall Docker Desktop from your Windows machine:

1. From the Windows **Start** menu, select **Settings** > **Apps** > **Apps & features**.
2. Select **Docker Desktop** from the **Apps & features** list and then select **Uninstall**.
3. Click **Uninstall** to confirm your selection.

> **Important**
>
> Uninstalling Docker Desktop destroys Docker containers, images, volumes, and
> other Docker related data local to the machine, and removes the files generated
> by the application. Refer to the [back up and restore data](../backup-and-restore.md)
> section to learn how to preserve important data before uninstalling.

## Where to go next

* [Get started with Docker](/get-started/) is a tutorial that teaches you how to deploy a multi-service stack.
- [Troubleshooting](../troubleshoot/overview.md) describes common problems, workarounds, and
  how to get support.
- [FAQs](../faqs/general.md) provide answers to frequently asked questions.
- [Release notes](../release-notes.md) lists component updates, new features, and improvements associated with Docker Desktop releases.
- [Back up and restore data](../backup-and-restore.md) provides instructions on backing up and restoring data related to Docker.
