Can't switch to windows container mode because (at least) connect to Desktop Windows Engine using pipe ressource is not possible.

[ColonelGizmo]

Description

I'm not able to switch the docker runtime from linux to windows container mode - please see output of docker info and docker version commands. The linux container mode works fine.
Did a diagnostics data upload with diagnostics ID specified below.

Reproduce

run DockerCli.exe -SwitchWindowsEngine -> fails with error message "switching to windows engine: Post "http://ipc/engine/switch": open \.\pipe\dockerBackendApiServer: The system cannot find the file specified."

Expected behavior

The above command should switch to Windows engine for using windows based container images.

docker version

Client:
 Version:           27.4.0
 API version:       1.47
 Go version:        go1.22.10
 Git commit:        bde2b89
 Built:             Sat Dec  7 10:40:21 2024
 OS/Arch:           windows/amd64
 Context:           desktop-windows
error during connect: Get "http://%2F%2F.%2Fpipe%2FdockerDesktopWindowsEngine/v1.47/version": open //./pipe/dockerDesktopWindowsEngine: The system cannot find the file specified.

docker info

Client:
 Version:    27.4.0
 Context:    desktop-windows
 Debug Mode: false
 Plugins:
  ai: Ask Gordon - Docker Agent (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.5.1
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-ai.exe
  buildx: Docker Buildx (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.19.2-desktop.1
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-buildx.exe
  compose: Docker Compose (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v2.31.0-desktop.2
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-compose.exe
  debug: Get a shell into any image or container (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  0.0.37
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-debug.exe
  desktop: Docker Desktop commands (Beta) (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.0
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-desktop.exe
  dev: Docker Dev Environments (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.1.2
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-dev.exe
  extension: Manages Docker extensions (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v0.2.27
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-extension.exe
  feedback: Provide feedback, right in your terminal! (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.0.5
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-feedback.exe
  init: Creates Docker-related starter files for your project (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.4.0
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.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\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-sbom.exe
  scout: Docker Scout (Docker Inc.)
    Version:  v1.15.1
    Path:     C:\Users\Holger.Kassner\.docker\cli-plugins\docker-scout.exe

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

Diagnostics ID

C35620BF-2415-4CF8-A4DC-EA4492C86496/20250116142625

Additional Info

Currently switching (back) to Linux engine with DockerCli.exe -SwitchLinuxEngine runs wihout error but the whole runtime seems to be defective. Because if I try to start the daemon/DockerDesktopVM (Linux engine?) after that - this fails/doesn't work anymore.

[ColonelGizmo]

After uninstalling DD and removing hopefully almost atrifacts, I did a trial to install DD using windows backend not the default linux backend and the same error arises:

It is the same error when trying to switch from linux to windows backend. I think because the runtime can't come up, all of the (windows related) pipe resources are missing. Switching back to linux backend the (linux related) pipes are coming back

[NVXMiMa]

Same Problem here! After updating to latest version windows container didn't work anymore. I had to downgrade to older version, all containers and images gone.

[ColonelGizmo]

WTF - sorry. Which older version did you use for?

[NVXMiMa]

@ColonelGizmo I took a random version: Current version: 4.35.1 (173168)