WSL distro integration broken with latest ver 4.50.0

[jtabox]

Description

Just updated to the latest v4.50.0 for Docker Desktop for Windows and rebooted my PC. Am now consistently getting this error:

running wsl distro proxy in ubu2404 distro: running proxy: running wslexec: An error occurred while running the command. DockerDesktop/Wsl/ExecError: c:\windows\system32\wsl.exe -d ubu2404 -u root -e /mnt/<host>/wsl/docker-desktop/docker-desktop-user-distro proxy --distro-name ubu2404 --docker-desktop-root /mnt/<host>/wsl/docker-desktop c:\program files\docker\docker\resources: exit status 1 (stderr: , wslErrorCode: DockerDesktop/Wsl/ExecError)

ubu2404 is as the name implies a WSL distro running Ubuntu 24.04, my main distro. It seems to be running normally, but complains about not being able to start docker, as expected.

I haven't messed with any other software before or after updating Docker Desktop.

Reproduce

No steps really, just happens automatically when Docker Desktop starts up after a reboot. Doesn't matter how many times I restart the integration process, it fails consistently.

Expected behavior

No response

docker version

Client:
 Version:           28.5.1
 API version:       1.51
 Go version:        go1.24.8
 Git commit:        e180ab8
 Built:             Wed Oct  8 12:19:16 2025
 OS/Arch:           windows/amd64
 Context:           desktop-linux

Server: Docker Desktop 4.50.0 (209931)
 Engine:
  Version:          28.5.1
  API version:      1.51 (minimum version 1.24)
  Go version:       go1.24.8
  Git commit:       f8215cc
  Built:            Wed Oct  8 12:17:24 2025
  OS/Arch:          linux/amd64
  Experimental:     false
 containerd:
  Version:          1.7.27
  GitCommit:        05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc:
  Version:          1.2.5
  GitCommit:        v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 docker-init:
  Version:          0.19.0
  GitCommit:        de40ad0

docker info

Client:
 Version:    28.5.1
 Context:    desktop-linux
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Docker AI Agent - Ask Gordon (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.9.11
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.29.1-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.40.3-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.45
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-desktop.exe
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.31
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-extension.exe
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-init.exe
  mcp: Docker MCP Plugin (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.26.0
    Path:     C:\Users\ioann\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-mcp.exe
  model: Docker Model Runner (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.46
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-model.exe
  offload: Docker Offload (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.5.10
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-offload.exe
  sandbox: Docker Sandbox (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.5.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-sandbox.exe
  sbom: View the packaged-based Software Bill Of Materials (SBOM) for an image (Anchore Inc.)
    Version:  0.6.0
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-sbom.exe
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.18.3
    Path:     C:\Program Files\Docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe

Server:
 Containers: 0
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 0
 Images: 0
 Server Version: 28.5.1
 Storage Driver: overlayfs
  driver-type: io.containerd.snapshotter.v1
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Cgroup Driver: cgroupfs
 Cgroup Version: 2
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: bridge host ipvlan macvlan null overlay
  Log: awslogs fluentd gcplogs gelf journald json-file local splunk syslog
 CDI spec directories:
  /etc/cdi
  /var/run/cdi
 Discovered Devices:
  cdi: docker.com/gpu=webgpu
 Swarm: inactive
 Runtimes: io.containerd.runc.v2 nvidia runc
 Default Runtime: runc
 Init Binary: docker-init
 containerd version: 05044ec0a9a75232cad458027ca83437aae3f4da
 runc version: v1.2.5-0-g59923ef
 init version: de40ad0
 Security Options:
  seccomp
   Profile: builtin
  cgroupns
 Kernel Version: 6.6.87.2-microsoft-standard-WSL2
 Operating System: Docker Desktop
 OSType: linux
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 24
 Total Memory: 15.62GiB
 Name: docker-desktop
 ID: e541d5ea-6c9e-46f1-9182-17de57833d05
 Docker Root Dir: /var/lib/docker
 Debug Mode: false
 HTTP Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 HTTPS Proxy: http.docker.internal:3128
 No Proxy: hubproxy.docker.internal
 Labels:
  com.docker.desktop.address=npipe://\\.\pipe\docker_cli
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  hubproxy.docker.internal:5555
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false

Diagnostics ID

42CAFDA5-3DE9-456D-AB15-DE93913D34EB/20251107105706

Additional Info

No response

[chelnak]

Thanks for letting us know.

I'm AFK for most of the day but will look at your diagnostics as soon as I can.

[smac89]

EDIT: Seems to have resolved itself after a reboot of the machine.

---

For me, the issue is with port mapping. Running two different containers, I get different results

redis image (success)

Recording.2025-11-07.170005.mp4

nginx-s3-gateway (fail)

Recording.2025-11-07.165547.mp4

In the first video, I start a redis container, with the port mappings in place, and after it starts, the ports remains open.

In the second video, it shows me starting an nginx container. However, after the container starts, the port mappings are shown briefly before disappearing. Indeed when I try to reach the container from the host port, it shows it's not open. I even ran netstat -tlupn and it doesn't show anything using the port.

[oldium]

Same message about /mnt/<host>/wsl/docker-desktop/docker-desktop-user-distro. I let it disable WSL integration, went to the configuration, enabled WSL integration for “default” distro (this was the default previously), Applied, and it works (docker info shows info). I will see what it does after restart actually...

[oldium]

Again directly after update to 4.70.0.

Again helped to “Skip the integration” on the dialog (do not remember exact wording), go to Docker Desktop configuration and enable it for the default distro again.

[oldium]

The file /mnt/wsl/docker-desktop/docker-desktop-user-distro is non-executable empty (0 size) after Docker Desktop update. When I re-enable the integration, it now is executable and has ~23MB.

[jtabox]

Again directly after update to 4.70.0.

Again helped to “Skip the integration” on the dialog (do not remember exact wording), go to Docker Desktop configuration and enable it for the default distro again.

So you activate only the top option? I.e. the Enable interaction with my default WSL distro box, but not the switch with the named default distro switch below Enable integration with additional distros?

[oldium]

Again directly after update to 4.70.0.
Again helped to “Skip the integration” on the dialog (do not remember exact wording), go to Docker Desktop configuration and enable it for the default distro again.

So you activate only the top option? I.e. the Enable interaction with my default WSL distro box, but not the switch with the named default distro switch below Enable integration with additional distros?

I currently have one distro, so I use the default option only.

[oldium]

Yep, happened again with version 4.71.0. 100% reproducible.