Move docker-desktop-data distro out of System Drive

#dockerforwin #wsl2

By default, Docker Desktop for Window will create 2 distros below

docker-desktop
docker-desktop-data

If we access the path %LOCALAPPDATA%/Docker/wsl; we can see 2 folders; and inside it is vhdx file. For detail,

data/ext4.vhdx which is consumed by docker-desktop-data
distro/ext4.vhdx which is consumed by docker-desktop

In which, docker-desktop-data is used to store images and so on. Therefore, its size will be increased in the future, consequently, our System Drive will be out of space. Below are step-by-step to move docker-desktop-data out of System Drive, for example, E:\docker-desktop\data.

Step 1: Stop Docker

Step 2: Export, unregister then import distro

1- Shutdown all WSL distros

wsl --shutdown

2- Export docker-desktop-data to tar file

wsl --export docker-desktop-data E:\docker-desktop\docker-desktop-data.tar

3- Unregister current docker-desktop-data distro

wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data

4- Import docker-desktop-data distro from tar file

wsl --import docker-desktop-data E:\docker-desktop\data E:\docker-desktop\docker-desktop-data.tar --version 2

Notes:

In this step, we may meet the error of cannot create a specific network. Just re-run the import command.

Step 3: Start Docker

Resources

Introducing the Docker Desktop WSL 2 Backend: we can get more information about docker-desktop, docker-desktop-data and even the new architecture of Docker Desktop
Moving Docker wsl files
Where are Docker volumes located when running Windows and WSL?

Top comments (17)

Brian Houle • Oct 2 '22 • Edited

This seemed to move %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\wsl\data\ext4.vhdx, but left %LOCALAPPDATA%\Docker\wsl\distro\ext4.vhdx in place, which is currently in use by Docker Desktop.

Is there a way to export/move this to a different drive as well?

Cesar Chavez • Dec 21 '22

You can do the same thing but change for docker-desktop

wsl -l -v
wsl --shutdown docker-desktop
wsl --export docker-desktop E:\docker-desktop\docker-desktop.tar
wsl --unregister docker-desktop
wsl --import docker-desktop E:\docker-desktop\distro E:\docker-desktop\docker-desktop.tar --version 2

Jotcomponents • Jul 5 '22

Thanks very much for the procedure. It is working on Win11 WSL2. But before 'Step3: Start Docker' it was necessary to restart Win (as it is also recommended in 'Resource#2 Moving Docker wsl files').
Remark: Resource#1 link is no more valid.

Xiang ZHU • Mar 22

Thanks for sharing.
Just a tip: the Docker Desktop WSL distro should be small, so there's no need to move it.
It's the Docker data VHD file that is large — this file contains the Docker images.
In newer versions of Docker Desktop, there's a built-in feature in the GUI to move this data VHD file to another drive.