WSL 2 installation is incomplete 🐳 Docker

Docker Desktop: WSL 2 installation is incomplete / WSL update required

Docker Desktop on Windows needs WSL 2 and its Linux kernel; they’re missing, outdated or disabled.

Seen on: Docker

Meaning

Docker Desktop runs its engine in a WSL 2 utility VM. If the WSL feature, Virtual Machine Platform or the WSL kernel isn’t installed/updated — or virtualization is off in BIOS — Desktop can’t start.

Common causes

  • WSL or Virtual Machine Platform feature not enabled
  • WSL kernel outdated
  • Virtualization disabled in BIOS/UEFI
  • Corporate policy blocking WSL

⚡ Quick fix

  1. Run wsl --install or wsl --update as admin
  2. Enable virtualization in BIOS
  3. Restart Windows after enabling features

Detailed fix by platform

Windows

  1. powershell
    wsl --update
wsl --set-default-version 2
dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:VirtualMachinePlatform /all /norestart

How to diagnose

  1. WSL — wsl --status
  2. BIOS — Task Manager → Performance → Virtualization: Enabled?

🔧 Still not fixed?

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