Move docker-desktop-data distro out of System Drive

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?

Comments

[Brian Houle]

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]

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]

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]

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.

[Alex]

Very helpful! Thank you!

[Lorenzo Sandini]

I am joining the choir singing your praise ! Thanks a bunch :)

[Timmy]

Thank you so much, it helped me so much.

[Yusuf Khasbulatov]

After I moved the docker-desktop-data (ext4.vhdx) All my folders under /mnt folder was empty.

[Bernardo Esbérard]

Thanks man! You've helped me a lot... :D

[Mustafa Kürkcü]

Thank you

[Arvind Devarajan]

Hey, thank you for this! Good hint :-)