Change Docker native images location on Windows 10 Pro - docker

Question

This is not a duplicate of Change Docker machine location - Windows
I'm using docker native, version 1.12.1-stable (build: 7135) on Windows 10 Pro with Hyper-V enabled.
So docker is not running with VirtualBox nor do I have the folder C:\Users\username\.docker
I'd like to move docker's images, caches, ... to my secondary drive D:\
I guess I should edit the Docker Daemon configuration.
I tried to add "graph": "/D/docker". Docker started correctly but I couldn't pull any image because of an error
open /D/docker/tmp/GetImageBlob135686954: no such file or directory
How to tell docker to use another path to store its images, etc ?

Answer 1

Docker Desktop now can use WSL 2 Backend. In this mode, you need to move the wsl data.
In my case (Windows10 with Docker Desktop) none of the above solutions helped me, but I found the solution; run these commands.
This command changes the docker directory to drive D: (don't forget to quit docker desktop first)
wsl --shutdown
wsl --export docker-desktop-data docker-desktop-data.tar
wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data
wsl --import docker-desktop-data D:\docker-new-repo\ docker-desktop-data.tar --version 2
And now you can delete .tar file
There is a very good blog post explaining everything:
https://dev.to/kimcuonthenet/move-docker-desktop-data-distro-out-of-system-drive-4cg2

Answer 2

Docker Version : 2.2.0.3 (42716)
Right-click on docker icon on desktop tray
Click on Settings
3 Click on Resources from the left-hand menu then under the Disk Image location click on browse and change the location
Click on apply and restart

Answer 3

In 2020 to "Change Docker native images location on Windows 10 Pro" is:
quit docker desktop
open/edit configuration file C:\ProgramData\Docker\config\daemon.json
add setting "data-root": "D:\\Virtual Machines\\Docker"
now start docker desktop
run the command docker info to see the setting Docker Root Dir: D:\Virtual Machines\Docker
pull docker images e.g.: docker pull mongo
you can find the downloaded images in folder D:\Virtual Machines\Docker\windowsfilter

Answer 4

I found a solution here
Docker native, on Windows, runs in a Hyper-V virtual machine.
Move existing docker VM
I have to move the VM used by docker to the desired location.
I did this using the GUI of Hyper-V manager.
The VM for docker is called MobyLinuxVM.
Right-click MobyLinuxVM
Select Move
Select desired location
Set location of futures Hyper-V VMs
And to be sure futures VMs of Hyper-V will be stored on my secondary drive,
I followed those instructions
In a powershell terminal (destination folders must exist)
SET-VMHOST –computername <computer> –virtualharddiskpath 'D:\Hyper-V_Virtual-Hard_Disks'
SET-VMHOST –computername <computer> –virtualmachinepath 'D:\Hyper-V_VMs'

Answer 5

Edit the Docker Daemon configuration and use "data-root": "D:\\docker" instead of "graph": "/D/docker".
That will move all the newly downloaded images to D:\docker folder.
For Old Docker version use graph "graph": "D:\\docker", "graph" has been deprecated.

Answer 6

There is an easier way to do this:
Go to Docker Settings > Advanced > Change "Disk image location" and click "Apply" when prompted. Docker engine will shut down the VM and move it for you to the new location.
Warning: new location must not be compressed. If it is then Docker will not show you any error, just won't change location.

Answer 7

None of these steps worked for me. After reboot or a Docker restart, it would move back to the original path. What worked for me is using Junction
stop docker engine
create a target folder in the new location:
mkdir d:\docker\vhd
copy the folder Virtual Hard Disks to the target folder
rename (and backup) the original folder
rename “C:\Users\Public\Documents\Hyper-V\Virtual hard disks” “C:\Users\Public\Documents\Hyper-V\Virtual hard disks_backup”
create a hard symbolic link (junction)
junction.exe "C:\Users\Public\Documents\Hyper-V\Virtual Hard Disks" "d:\docker\vhd\Virtual Hard Disks"
start docker engine

Answer 8

For Those looking in 2020. The following is for Windows 10 Machine:
In the global Actions pane of Hyper-V Manager click Hyper-V
Settings…
Under Virtual Hard Disks change the location from the default to
your desired location.
Under Virtual Machines change the location from the default to your
desired location, and click apply.
Click OK to close the Hyper-V Settings page.

Answer 9

If issues using the Docker Desktop GUI, when using Hyper-V:
Shutdown Docker Desktop
Edit c:\users\[USERNAME]\AppData\Roaming\Docker\settings.json
You need to edit dataFolder entry. Use Double backslashes.
eg: "dataFolder": "D:\\Demo\\Hyper-V\\DockerDesktop\\DockerDesktop"
Restart Docker Desktop
You can also use the above if Docker Desktop loses track of where you data folder is, as the GUI doesn't allow you to set it to a previously used location.

Answer 10

I would recommend looking at Microsoft documentation docker engine on windows, it's the daemon.json file that allows to change the setting "data-root": "".

Answer 11

From: https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/4699#issuecomment-658369676
He created a symlink pointing to the new folder location. By running:
$ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
$newLocation = "E:\VMs\WSL2\"
cd "~\AppData\Local\Docker\wsl\data"
wsl --shutdown
Optimize-VHD .\ext4.vhdx -Mode Full
mkdir $newLocation -Force
mv ext4.vhdx $newLocation
cd ..
rm "data"
New-Item -ItemType SymbolicLink -Path "data" -Target $newLocation
He also wrote a blog post going into more detail: http://nuts4.net/post/moving-wsl2-vhdx-file-to-a-different-location

Answer 12

Just configuration from Docker Desktop worked for me (Latest Version V20.10.8)
Steps
Go to settings
Select 'Docker Engine' option
Add property "data-root": "D:\\Docker" in configuration file
Apply and Restart
Settings