Installing Docker Desktop on a non-C drive in Windows

Problem

Docker Desktop defaults to installing on your system drive (C:), consuming valuable SSD space. Even after removing containers and images, Docker retains significant disk space through:

• WSL distributions and data
• Image caches
• Virtual machine resources
  These hidden files prevent SSD space recovery without complete uninstallation if you only installed Docker's executable elsewhere.

Solutions

Use one of these methods to install Docker Desktop and relocate its data storage.

Method 1: GUI Configuration (Docker Desktop v4.34.3+)

1. Install Docker Desktop normally (default location)
2. Open Docker Desktop settings ➔ Resources ➔ Advanced
3. Under "Disk image location," change the path to your desired drive (e.g., D:\Docker)
4. Click Apply & Restart

WARNING

This method only relocates the disk image, not the entire installation. Executable files remain on C:.

Method 2: Command-Line Installation (All Versions)

Core Flags

• --installation-dir: Primary executable location
• --wsl-default-data-root: Linux container/WSL data
• --windows-containers-default-data-root: Windows container data

PowerShell (Admin)

Start-Process -Wait -FilePath "Docker Desktop Installer.exe" -ArgumentList `
  "install","-accept-license",
  "--installation-dir=D:\Docker\Program",
  "--wsl-default-data-root=D:\Docker\WSL",
  "--windows-containers-default-data-root=D:\Docker\Containers"

Command Prompt (Admin)

start /w "" "Docker Desktop Installer.exe" install -accept-license ^
  --installation-dir="D:\Docker\Program" ^
  --wsl-default-data-root="D:\Docker\WSL" ^
  --windows-containers-default-data-root="D:\Docker\Containers"

Critical Notes

1. Replace D: with your target drive
2. Paths must use double backslashes (\\) for Windows containers
3. Directories should be pre-created:

   mkdir D:\Docker
   mkdir D:\Docker\WSL
   mkdir D:\Docker\Containers

4. Run from the installer's download directory (typically %USERPROFILE%\Downloads)

Post-Install Fixes

WSL Integration Errors

If encountering WSL unexpectedly stopped:

wsl --shutdown
wsl --unregister docker-desktop
wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data

WARNING

This deletes existing WSL data. Backup critical containers first!

Space Verification

Confirm relocation success by checking:

1. Docker Desktop Settings ➔ Resources ➔ Advanced
2. Target drive's folder sizes

Best Practices

• Combine both flags for full relocation:
  --installation-dir + --wsl-default-data-root
• Always pre-create directories to avoid permission issues
• Place installation and data paths on drives with abundant space
• Regularly prune unused resources:

  docker system prune --all --volumes --force

Migration Tip

Existing users should uninstall Docker Desktop completely before reinstalling with these commands to avoid configuration conflicts.

Using these methods ensures Docker operates entirely from your secondary drive, freeing primary SSD space without sacrificing functionality.