Moving docker-desktop-data to different drive

[dxkyy]

Description

I exported my docker-desktop data using wsl --export and when I now try to import it using wsl --import docker-desktop-data Z:\dockerdesktop\wsl\data Z:\dockerdesktop\docker-desktop-data-backup.tar --version 2
I get this error:

Import wird ausgeführt. Dieser Vorgang kann einige Minuten dauern.
Diese Sicherheitskennung kann nicht als Besitzer des Objekts zugeordnet werden.
Fehlercode: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/0x8007051b

(in german)
would look something like this in english: (?)

Import is in progress. This process may take a few minutes.
This security ID may not be assigned as the owner of this object
Error code: Wsl/Service/RegisterDistro/0x8007051b

How do I fix this?

Reproduce

1. wsl --shutdown
2. wsl --export docker-desktop-data "Z:\dockerdesktop\docker-desktop-data-backup.tar"
3. wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data
4. wsl --import docker-desktop-data Z:\dockerdesktop\wsl\data Z:\dockerdesktop\docker-desktop-data-backup.tar --version 2

Expected behavior

Acutally import the docker desktop data.

docker version

Client:
 Version:           27.3.1
 API version:       1.47
 Go version:        go1.22.7
 Git commit:        ce12230
 Built:             Fri Sep 20 11:42:27 2024
 OS/Arch:           windows/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux
error during connect: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2FdockerDesktopLinuxEngine/v1.47/version": open //./pipe/dockerDesktopLinuxEngine: The system cannot find the file specified.

docker info

Client:
 Version:    27.3.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Ask Gordon - Docker Agent (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.0
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.18.0-desktop.2
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.30.3-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.37
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Alpha) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.0.15
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-desktop.exe
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-dev.exe
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-extension.exe
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-feedback.exe
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-init.exe
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-sbom.exe
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.15.0
    Path:     C:\Users\adria\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe

Server:
ERROR: error during connect: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2FdockerDesktopLinuxEngine/v1.47/info": open //./pipe/dockerDesktopLinuxEngine: The system cannot find the file specified.
errors pretty printing info

Diagnostics ID

ACADBD16-8C86-484E-91AF-4B3CE6BE0356/20241127212341

Additional Info

No response

[andrea-reale]

Hi there, thanks for reporting the issue and I am sorry that you are having a bad experience with it.

An initial note of warning that what you are doing is not the officially supported method to move Docker Desktop distributions; you are instead relying on using directly Microsoft WSL's command line utility to import/export WSL distributions (in this case it happens to be the docker-desktop-data distribution). This may work fine in most cases, but it is preferrable to use the settings menu in Docker Desktop to avoid settings getting out-of-sync with the real state of the system.

That said, it appears that the error you are getting relates to your user having some missing permissions either on the source/destination folder or on the WSL subsystem itself (hence it is likely you'd get a similar error if you tried to move the data via Docker Desktop).
Unfortunately, from the error alone I cannot infer much more, but I hope this gives you a starting point to solve your issue.