Podman Failing to start on Windows 11

[ll01]

Issue Description

Podman gets stuck on startup. when opening podman desktop. I Installed podman via scoop. I've Looked at some github issues and removed the .wslconfig. I've tried removing and remaking the machine but it still hangs on "starting..".
This is the output for podman --log-level=debug machine start (it never finishes)

To be honest I'm not sure if this will be replicable
OS: windows 11 with wsl 2
podman version: 5.5.2

Steps to reproduce the issue

Steps to reproduce the issue

1. scoop install podman
2. scoop install podman-desktop
   3.podman machine init
   4.podman machine start

Describe the results you received

Podman machine never finishes starting

Describe the results you expected

time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=info msg="C:\\Users\\enti2\\scoop\\apps\\podman\\current\\podman.exe filtering at log level debug"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="Using Podman machine with `wsl` virtualization provider"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="socket length for C:\\Users\\enti2\\.config\\containers\\podman\\machine\\wsl is 52"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="socket length for C:\\Users\\enti2\\.local\\share\\containers\\podman\\machine\\wsl is 57"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="socket length for C:\\Users\\enti2\\.local\\share\\containers\\podman\\machine\\wsl\\cache is 63"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="socket length for C:\\Users\\enti2\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\podman is 40"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="socket length for C:\\Users\\enti2\\.config\\containers\\podman\\machine\\wsl\\podman-machine-default.json is 80"
Starting machine "podman-machine-default"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="writing configuration file \"C:\\\\Users\\\\enti2\\\\.config\\\\containers\\\\podman\\\\machine\\\\wsl\\\\podman-machine-default.json\""
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="socket length for C:\\Users\\enti2\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\podman\\gvproxy.pid is 52"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:13+01:00" level=debug msg="Running command: C:\\Users\\enti2\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\wsl.exe [-u root -d podman-machine-default /root/bootstrap]"

This machine is currently configured in rootless mode. If your containers
require root permissions (e.g. ports < 1024), or if you run into compatibility
issues with non-podman clients, you can switch using the following command:

        podman machine set --rootful

time="2025-07-26T13:27:14+01:00" level=debug msg="socket length for C:\\Users\\enti2\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\podman\\podman-machine-default-api.sock is 72"
time="2025-07-26T13:27:14+01:00" level=debug msg="winssh command: C:\\Users\\enti2\\scoop\\apps\\podman\\current\\win-sshproxy.exe [podman-machine-default C:\\Users\\enti2\\.local\\share\\containers\\podman\\machine\\wsl\\podman-machine-default npipe:////./pipe/podman-machine-default ssh://user@localhost:62018/run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock C:\\Users\\enti2\\.local\\share\\containers\\podman\\machine\\machine npipe:////./pipe/docker_engine ssh://user@localhost:62018/run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock C:\\Users\\enti2\\.local\\share\\containers\\podman\\machine\\machine unix:///C:/Users/enti2/AppData/Local/Temp/podman/podman-machine-default-api.sock ssh://user@localhost:62018/run/user/1000/podman/podman.sock C:\\Users\\enti2\\.local\\share\\containers\\podman\\machine\\machine]"
API forwarding for Docker API clients is not available due to the following startup failures.
        CreateFile \\.\pipe\docker_engine: All pipe instances are busy.

Podman clients are still able to connect.

podman info output

podman info also hangs 
from scoop info podman 

Name        : podman
Description : A tool for managing OCI containers and pods.
Version     : 5.5.2
Bucket      : main
Website     : https://podman.io
License     : Apache-2.0
Updated at  : 24/06/2025 21:29:22
Updated by  : github-actions[bot]
Installed   : 5.5.2
Binaries    : podman.exe
Environment : PODMAN_CONNECTIONS_CONF = <root>\connections\podman-connections.json

OS Name:                       Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
OS Version:                    10.0.26100 N/A Build 26100

Podman in a container

No

Privileged Or Rootless

Rootless

Upstream Latest Release

Yes

Additional environment details

Additional environment details

Additional information

Additional information like issue happens only occasionally or issue happens with a particular architecture or on a particular setting

[ninja-quokka]

Hi @ll01, just wondering if you are using x86 or ARM based WIndows 11?

I see podman info is hanging for you, can you try provide podman machine info and podman machine inspect?

You are installing Podman via Podman desktop which should work, as it's not, have you tried following our guide to install Podman? https://github.com/containers/podman/blob/main/docs/tutorials/podman-for-windows.md

[ll01]

podman machine info

host:
    arch: amd64
    currentmachine: podman-machine-default
    defaultmachine: podman-machine-default
    eventsdir: C:\Users\enti2\.local\share\containers\podman\podman
    machineconfigdir: C:\Users\enti2\.config\containers\podman\machine\wsl
    machineimagedir: C:\Users\enti2\.local\share\containers\podman\machine\wsl
    machinestate: Starting
    numberofmachines: 1
    os: windows
    vmtype: wsl
version:
    apiversion: 5.5.2
    version: 5.5.2
    goversion: go1.24.4
    gitcommit: e7d8226745ba07a64b7176a7f128e4ef53225a0e
    builttime: Tue Jun 24 17:13:04 2025
    built: 1750781584
    osarch: windows/amd64
    os: windows

podman machine inspect

[
     {
          "ConfigDir": {
               "Path": "C:\\Users\\enti2\\.config\\containers\\podman\\machine\\wsl"
          },
          "ConnectionInfo": {
               "PodmanSocket": {
                    "Path": "C:\\Users\\enti2\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\podman\\podman-machine-default-api.sock"
               },
               "PodmanPipe": {
                    "Path": "\\\\.\\pipe\\podman-machine-default"
               }
          },
          "Created": "2025-07-26T03:55:14.5029096+01:00",
          "LastUp": "2025-07-26T13:26:44.3138971+01:00",
          "Name": "podman-machine-default",
          "Resources": {
               "CPUs": 6,
               "DiskSize": 100,
               "Memory": 2048,
               "USBs": []
          },
          "SSHConfig": {
               "IdentityPath": "C:\\Users\\enti2\\.local\\share\\containers\\podman\\machine\\machine",
               "Port": 62018,
               "RemoteUsername": "user"
          },
          "State": "stopped",
          "UserModeNetworking": false,
          "Rootful": false,
          "Rosetta": false
     }
]

You are installing Podman via Podman desktop which should work, as it's not, have you tried following our guide to install Podman? https://github.com/containers/podman/blob/main/docs/tutorials/podman-for-windows.md

I'll try thank you for helping me.

[ashley-cui]

@ll01 Is this still an issue?