Docker Desktop: The Update That Broke Everything
💥 The Update
I updated Docker Desktop to version 4.30. It seemed like a routine update. Then everything broke.
Containers wouldn't start. Networking failed. Volumes disappeared. My entire development environment was down.
The disaster: Docker Desktop 4.30 broke everything. Here's what happened and how I fixed it.
❌ What Broke
1. Containers Won't Start
All containers failed to start with cryptic errors:
Error: failed to start container: failed to create shim task: OCI runtime create failed
2. Networking Issues
Containers couldn't communicate with each other or the host.
3. Volume Mounts Failed
Volume mounts stopped working. Data was inaccessible.
4. WSL2 Integration Broken
Docker Desktop's WSL2 integration stopped working on Windows.
✅ How I Fixed It
1. Rolled Back
First, I rolled back to the previous version:
# Uninstall Docker Desktop 4.30
# Download and install previous version (4.29)
2. Reset Docker
Reset Docker to factory defaults:
# Reset Docker Desktop
Settings → Troubleshoot → Reset to factory defaults
3. Recreated Containers
Recreated all containers from scratch:
docker-compose down
docker-compose up -d
4. Fixed WSL2
Reinstalled WSL2 integration:
wsl --unregister docker-desktop
wsl --unregister docker-desktop-data
# Restart Docker Desktop
💡 What Went Wrong
Root cause: Docker Desktop 4.30 changed the underlying runtime and networking stack. This broke compatibility with existing containers and configurations.
Why it happened: The update was too aggressive. Breaking changes weren't properly documented or tested.
📊 Impact
| Issue | Downtime | Fix Time |
|---|---|---|
| Containers won't start | 2 hours | Rollback |
| Networking issues | 1 hour | Reset Docker |
| Volume mounts | 30 min | Recreate containers |
💡 Lessons Learned
- Wait before updating: Don't update immediately. Wait for others to find bugs.
- Read release notes: Check for breaking changes before updating.
- Backup first: Backup containers and volumes before major updates.
- Test in staging: Test updates in a non-critical environment first.
- Have a rollback plan: Know how to rollback before you update.
🎯 Key Takeaways
- Docker Desktop 4.30 had breaking changes
- Always wait before updating production tools
- Read release notes for breaking changes
- Backup before major updates
- Have a rollback plan ready
This update taught me to be more cautious with Docker Desktop updates. Now I wait a few weeks and read release notes carefully before updating.