Docker: Move Data Folder Location

On Windows, the docker data is store at user’s AppData location:

%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Docker\wsl\data\ext4.vhdx

It keep growing large so that our drive C: got out of space so fast, so a better solution is to move it to another drive.

Two ways that can do that:

1. Re-locate the data location using daemon.json file
2. Export/Unregister to a new location using WSL (on Windows)

I am successfully do the option 2. and I think the option 1. should also work but as I tried at first on option 2. so it’s perfect for me as data not lose and I don’t know yet for option 1.

Option 1: daemon.json

Before doing this, please close docker service.

At location of “C:\ProgramData\Docker”, normally you don’t see a folder config and file daemon.json so please create that file.

Create the file: “C:\ProgramData\Docker\config\daemon.json” and in the content of daemon.json, put the location you want:

{
"data-root": "E:/_/docker"
}

Start docker-desktop again and pull any image back.

Option 2: Export/Unregister

On DOS Prompt and follow a quick commands below:

1. Stop docker (Stop-Service docker)
2. wsl –list -v
   You will see service of docker

  NAME                   STATE           VERSION
* docker-desktop         Stopped         2
  docker-desktop-data    Stopped         2

3. wsl –export docker-desktop-data “E:_\docker\wsl\data\docker-desktop-data.tar”

4. wsl –unregister docker-desktop-data

5. wsl –import docker-desktop-data “E:_\docker\wsl\data” “E:_\docker\wsl\data\docker-desktop-data.tar” –version 2

From the answer of StackOverflow

I follow the option 2. and work as expected.

Good luck.