Docker desktop stopped in Windows container mode - docker

Question

I am using Docker Desktop latest version (4.7) on Windows 10 Pro machine. Everything was working fine before my first restart after installing docker and pulling a container in Windows Container mode which ran successfully as well.
But now whenever I run docker, then I see Desktop Docker stopped... after this exception is thrown:
System.Exception:
Paths contain symlinks
at Docker.Core.PermissionUtils.CheckPath(String path, Boolean allowDockerAppData) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Core\PermissionUtils.cs:line 250
at Docker.Core.PermissionUtils.ApplyACLOnChildren(ILogger logger, String path, Int32 recurse) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Core\PermissionUtils.cs:line 46
at Docker.Core.PermissionUtils.ApplyACLOnChildren(ILogger logger, String path, Int32 recurse) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Core\PermissionUtils.cs:line 70
at Docker.Core.PermissionUtils.ApplyACLOnChildren(ILogger logger, String path, Int32 recurse) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Core\PermissionUtils.cs:line 70
at Docker.Core.PermissionUtils.ApplyACLOnChildren(ILogger logger, String path, Int32 recurse) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Core\PermissionUtils.cs:line 70
at Docker.Core.PermissionUtils.ApplyACLOnChildren(ILogger logger, String path, Int32 recurse) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Core\PermissionUtils.cs:line 70
at Docker.Backend.HttpAPI.WindowsContainersController.FixPermissions(String path) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Backend\HttpAPI\WindowsContainersController.cs:line 72
at Docker.Backend.HttpAPI.WindowsContainersController.Start(WindowsContainerStartRequest request) in C:\workspaces\PR-17669\src\github.com\docker\pinata\win\src\Docker.Backend\HttpAPI\WindowsContainersController.cs:line 35
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ReflectedHttpActionDescriptor.ActionExecutor.<>c__DisplayClass6_1.<GetExecutor>b__0(Object instance, Object[] methodParameters)
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ReflectedHttpActionDescriptor.ExecuteAsync(HttpControllerContext controllerContext, IDictionary`2 arguments, CancellationToken cancellationToken)
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ApiControllerActionInvoker.<InvokeActionAsyncCore>d__1.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
at System.Web.Http.Controllers.ActionFilterResult.<ExecuteAsync>d__5.MoveNext()
--- End of stack trace from previous location where exception was thrown ---
at System.Runtime.ExceptionServices.ExceptionDispatchInfo.Throw()
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.TaskAwaiter.HandleNonSuccessAndDebuggerNotification(Task task)
at System.Web.Http.Dispatcher.HttpControllerDispatcher.<SendAsync>d__15.MoveNext()
I have tried various solutions such as disabling WSL, deleting settings.json, entire docker folders in AppData, running Docker with admin rights but nothing works. Docker works fine in Linux Container mode but when I switch to Windows container mode the above exception hits and docker stops working.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Answer 1

It's a known issue - see https://github.com/docker/for-win/issues/12650.
You may have to remove symlinks.