What to Do if Docker Desktop for Windows Does Not Start

After the installation and the enforced reboot of my machine, Docker Desktop for Windows did not bother to start. I got the Docker command line application in the Command Prompt, but the hello-world example ended with an error:

docker run hello-world

docker: error during connect: This error may indicate that the docker daemon is not running.: Post "https://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2Fdocker_engine/v1.24/containers/create": open //./pipe/docker_engine: The system cannot find the file specified. See 'docker run --help'.

If you run into this problem, do not waste as much time as I did and redo the installation:

1. Remove Docker in “Add or remove programs”
2. Restart your computer
3. Install Docker as Administrator (and not by running the installer directly)

If the installer asks for a reboot, do it. Docker Desktop for Windows should now start as expected and run your containers.