Tranferring Docker to a different Local Drive

Docker Storage Help

The images created by the Combined Tech Stack takes up approximately 30 GB. By default on Windows, Docker Desktop with WSL2 will download the images into a specified folder in the user's main drive. (usually C:). If a user has a secondary drive with a lot more space (like I did), it is useful to be able to store all images in that drive instead. Below we will detail the process.

Step 1:

Make sure your Docker is shut down. Shut down your docker desktop by right click on the Docker Desktop icon and select Quit Docker Desktop

Step 2:

Go to any folder on your main drive using the CLI (command line). And use the command:

wsl --list -v

Which displays should display two lines: "docker-desktop" and "docker-desktop-data".

From the same folder run:

wsl --export docker-desktop-data "docker-desktop-data.tar"

which will install "docker-desktop-data.tar" into the folder you are curerntly in.

Step 3:

Then unregister docker-desktop-data from wsl, note that after this, your ext4.vhdx file would automatically be removed (so back it up first if you have important existing image/container):

wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data

Step 4:

Import the docker-desktop-data back to wsl, but now the ext4.vhdx would reside in different drive/directory:

wsl --import docker-desktop-data "your/drive/here" "docker-desktop-data.tar" --version 2

Start the Docker Desktop again and it should work

You may delete the "docker-desktop-data.tar" file (NOT the ext4.vhdx file) if everything looks good for you after verifying

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