How to Install Docker on Windows Server: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you’re new to Docker, it’s an open-source containerization platform that simplifies application development and deployment. Docker provides a lightweight environment for developers to build, ship, and run applications on any infrastructure. With Docker, developers can package an application with all its dependencies into a container that can run consistently across different environments.

In this step-by-step guide, we’ll show you how to install Docker on Windows Server, including the system requirements, installation process, and configuration steps. Whether you’re a developer, system administrator, or IT professional, this guide will help you get started with Docker on Windows Server.

By the end of this guide, you’ll have a working Docker environment on your Windows Server machine, ready to start deploying and running containers. Let’s get started!

Ready to simplify your application development and deployment with Docker? Follow our step-by-step guide to install Docker on Windows Server and get started with containerization.

Check System Requirements

Before installing Docker on your Windows Server, you need to make sure that your system meets the necessary requirements. First and foremost, you need a Windows Server 2016 or later. Docker requires Hyper-V to run, and it’s only available in these versions of Windows Server.

You’ll also need to ensure that your server has the latest updates installed. Docker requires the Windows Server 2016 update KB4015217 or later and the Windows Server 2019 update KB4489899 or later. Without these updates, Docker won’t be able to function correctly.

Another critical requirement is that your server has at least 2GB of RAM. Docker requires a minimum of 2GB of RAM to run correctly, and any less than that will result in performance issues. Additionally, you need to have 64-bit Windows Server, as Docker doesn’t support 32-bit systems.

Finally, you need to check that your server has the Virtualization Technology enabled in the BIOS settings. Docker relies on Hyper-V to function, which in turn requires Virtualization Technology to be enabled. Without this feature, you won’t be able to run Docker on your Windows Server.

Minimum Hardware Requirements

CPU	RAM	Storage
64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)	4 GB of RAM minimum (8 GB recommended)	At least 30 GB of free disk space
Operating System	Virtualization Support	Network Card
Windows Server 2016 or later	Enabled in BIOS	Ethernet adapter with at least one IPv4 address

Before installing Docker on Windows Server, it is important to ensure that your system meets the minimum hardware requirements. These requirements are necessary to ensure that Docker runs smoothly and without any performance issues. The following hardware requirements must be met:

• A 64-bit processor with Second Level Address Translation (SLAT)
• 4 GB of RAM minimum (8 GB recommended)
• At least 30 GB of free disk space
• An Ethernet adapter with at least one IPv4 address
• Windows Server 2016 or later
• Virtualization support enabled in BIOS

Meeting these hardware requirements is critical for a successful installation of Docker on Windows Server. Failure to meet these requirements can result in performance issues and system crashes.

Install Docker Desktop for Windows

To install Docker Desktop for Windows, follow these steps:

Step 1: Download Docker Desktop for Windows from the official Docker website.

Step 2: Double-click the downloaded installer to launch the installation wizard.

Step 3: Follow the instructions provided by the wizard to complete the installation process.

Once the installation is complete, Docker Desktop for Windows will be ready to use.

Download Docker Desktop for Windows

Before you can install Docker Desktop for Windows, you need to download the installer package from the Docker website. Make sure to download the stable version of Docker Desktop for Windows to ensure that you have the most up-to-date and reliable version of the software.

To download the installer, go to the Docker Desktop for Windows page and click the “Download Docker Desktop for Windows” button. You will be prompted to create a Docker ID if you don’t already have one, which is necessary to download the software.

Once you’ve created your Docker ID and signed in, the download should start automatically. The size of the installer package is around 500 MB, so it may take a few minutes to download depending on your internet speed.

Install Docker Desktop for Windows

Once you have downloaded Docker Desktop for Windows, the installation process is straightforward. Double-click on the downloaded installer file and follow the instructions provided by the Docker installer.

You will be prompted to choose between two installation options: Stable and Edge. The stable version of Docker Desktop for Windows is recommended for most users, as it is thoroughly tested and reliable. The Edge version is updated more frequently and contains the latest features, but may be less stable.

During the installation process, you may be prompted to enable the Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL) and install a Linux distribution. This is required if you want to run Linux containers on Windows. You can choose to install the Ubuntu distribution, or any other supported Linux distribution.

Configure Docker Settings

Step 1: Launch Docker Desktop

Once you have installed Docker Desktop for Windows, you can launch the application from the Start menu. Once launched, the Docker icon will appear in the system tray, indicating that Docker is running on your system.

Step 2: Access the Settings

To access Docker’s settings, you need to right-click on the Docker icon in the system tray and click on “Settings” from the context menu. This will open the Docker Desktop settings dialog, which allows you to configure various aspects of Docker’s behavior.

Step 3: Configure General Settings

The General tab of the Docker Desktop settings dialog allows you to configure general settings for Docker, such as the location of Docker’s data directory and the amount of resources Docker is allowed to use on your system. You can also choose whether or not Docker should start automatically when you log in to your system.

Step 4: Configure Shared Drives

If you plan to mount volumes from your Windows file system into Docker containers, you will need to configure shared drives in Docker’s settings. To do this, navigate to the “Resources” tab in the Docker Desktop settings dialog and click on “File Sharing”. From there, you can add the directories on your Windows file system that you want to share with Docker.

Step 5: Apply and Save Changes

After you have configured Docker’s settings to your liking, be sure to click the “Apply & Restart” button at the bottom of the Docker Desktop settings dialog to apply and save your changes. This will restart Docker and ensure that your changes take effect.

Access Docker Desktop Settings

Once you have installed Docker Desktop for Windows, you can access the settings by right-clicking the Docker icon in the system tray and selecting “Settings” from the menu. Alternatively, you can access the settings by clicking the Docker icon in the Windows Start menu and selecting “Settings” from the list of options.

Within the Docker Desktop settings, you can configure a variety of options, such as changing the Docker daemon configuration, setting up proxies, and enabling experimental features. You can also configure the resources that Docker Desktop uses, such as CPU, memory, and disk space.

Some advanced settings include configuring Docker to use an HTTP or SOCKS proxy, setting up a custom Docker daemon configuration file, and configuring access to Docker Hub or other container registries.

Verify the Installation

Step 1: Open Command Prompt

To verify if Docker is installed correctly, open the Command Prompt or PowerShell on your Windows Server.

Step 2: Check Docker Version

To check the version of Docker installed on your Windows Server, run the following command: docker --version

Step 3: Run Docker Hello-World Image

To verify if Docker is working, you can run a simple “Hello-World” image. Type the following command in your Command Prompt: docker run hello-world

Step 4: Check Running Containers

To verify that the container is running, you can use the following command to list all running containers: docker ps

Step 5: Check Docker Images

To verify the list of Docker images installed on your Windows Server, you can use the following command: docker images

By following these steps, you can verify if Docker is installed correctly on your Windows Server. If you encounter any issues during the installation, feel free to check out the official Docker documentation or ask for help from the Docker community.

Open a Command Prompt or PowerShell Window

To verify that Docker Desktop for Windows is installed correctly, you need to open a Command Prompt or PowerShell window. Here’s how to do it:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type “cmd” or “powershell” and press Enter.
3. The Command Prompt or PowerShell window will open.

You can also open a Command Prompt or PowerShell window by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting “Command Prompt” or “Windows PowerShell” from the list of options.

Once you have opened the Command Prompt or PowerShell window, you can run the following command to verify that Docker Desktop for Windows is installed:

docker version

If Docker is installed correctly, you will see information about the Docker version and build number.

Check Docker Version

If you are working with Docker, it is important to check the version of your installation to ensure that you are running the latest version and that it is compatible with your system. Checking your Docker version is a straightforward process that can be accomplished using a few simple commands.

To begin, open a terminal window and enter the following command:

docker --version

This will display the version number of your Docker installation. If you need more detailed information, you can use the following command:

docker info

which will display a range of information, including the version number, the number of containers and images on your system, and more.

If you need to update your Docker installation to the latest version, you can do so using the following command:

sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install docker-ce

• Step 1: Update your system by running the following command:
  sudo apt-get update
• Step 2: Install the latest version of Docker using the following command:
  sudo apt-get install docker-ce
• Step 3: Verify that Docker is installed correctly by running the following command:
  docker --version
• Step 4: Start the Docker service:
  sudo systemctl start docker
• Step 5: Enable the Docker service so that it starts automatically at boot time:
  sudo systemctl enable docker
• Step 6: Check the status of the Docker service:
  sudo systemctl status docker

Once you have updated your Docker installation, it is recommended that you restart your system to ensure that all changes take effect.

Command	Description	Example
docker --version	Displays the version number of Docker.	docker --version
docker info	Displays detailed information about your Docker installation.	docker info
sudo systemctl start docker	Starts the Docker service.	sudo systemctl start docker

By following these steps, you can quickly and easily check the version of your Docker installation and ensure that it is up to date.

Run a Test Container

If you want to check if Docker is working properly, you can run a test container. Running a container is a way to run an application or a service in an isolated environment. It is one of the primary features of Docker, allowing you to easily create, manage and deploy applications. With the docker run command, you can start a container from a specific image. The command will download the image if it does not exist on your system.

Let’s say you want to run a simple container that prints a message. First, make sure you have Docker installed and running by typing docker version. Once you have confirmed that Docker is running, you can use the following command to run a container:

docker run hello-world

This command will download the hello-world image from Docker Hub and run a container from it. The container will print a message to the console and then exit. If everything is working correctly, you should see the message “Hello from Docker!” in your console.

You can also use the docker ps command to see the list of running containers. This command will show you the container ID, image name, status, and other details. By default, it will only show the running containers. To see all containers, including those that have exited, you can use the –all or -a flag.

Now that you have successfully run a test container, you can start exploring Docker further. There are many pre-built images available on Docker Hub, and you can also create your own images to run your own applications. With Docker, you have a powerful tool to manage your applications and services in a consistent and reproducible way.

Get Started with Docker

If you’re new to Docker, you might be wondering how to get started with it. Docker is a containerization platform that allows developers to package their applications into containers, making them more portable and easier to deploy.

To get started with Docker, you’ll need to install it on your computer. Docker is available for Windows, Mac, and Linux, so make sure you download the version that’s appropriate for your operating system. Once you’ve installed Docker, you can start using it to build and run containers.

The first step to using Docker is to create a Dockerfile. A Dockerfile is a script that contains instructions on how to build a Docker image. Docker image is a lightweight, stand-alone, and executable package that includes everything needed to run an application. By using Docker images, you can ensure that your application runs consistently across different environments.

Once you have created a Dockerfile, you can use it to build a Docker image. The Docker image can then be used to run a container. Docker container is a running instance of a Docker image. You can use Docker containers to run your application in an isolated environment, which helps to ensure that it runs correctly.

Getting started with Docker can seem daunting at first, but with the right resources and a little bit of practice, you’ll soon be building and running containers like a pro. So go ahead and download Docker today, and start exploring the world of containerization!

Learn Docker Fundamentals

If you are new to Docker, it is important to learn the fundamentals to help you understand the basic concepts and principles of the platform. One important concept to understand is containers. In Docker, a container is a lightweight, standalone, and executable package that contains everything needed to run an application, including libraries, dependencies, and configurations. Another important concept is images. An image is a read-only template that is used to create Docker containers. Images are created using a Dockerfile, which contains instructions on how to build the image.

When learning Docker fundamentals, it is also important to understand how to use the Docker command-line interface (CLI). The Docker CLI is a powerful tool that allows you to interact with Docker and perform various tasks, such as building and running Docker images and containers, managing networks and volumes, and more. You can use the docker run command to start a container from an image, and the docker build command to build an image from a Dockerfile.

Another important concept to understand when learning Docker fundamentals is orchestration. Orchestration is the process of managing multiple containers as a single unit to ensure that they work together effectively. Docker provides several tools for orchestration, including Docker Compose and Docker Swarm. Docker Compose allows you to define and run multi-container Docker applications, while Docker Swarm allows you to create and manage a cluster of Docker nodes.

Frequently Asked Questions