Always try running your terminal (PowerShell or Command Prompt) as an when first testing your installation.
Windows 10 and 11 come with Winget pre-installed. Open PowerShell and run: winget install Docker.DockerDesktop Using Chocolatey download docker cli for windows
If you do not want the full Docker Desktop GUI and only need the CLI to connect to a remote Docker host, you can download the executable directly. 1. Download the Zip File Always try running your terminal (PowerShell or Command
Extract the contents of the zip folder. You will see docker.exe . Move this file to a permanent folder, such as C:\bin\docker . 3. Update Environment Variables Move this file to a permanent folder, such as C:\bin\docker
This means the folder containing docker.exe is not in your System Path. Re-check Method 2, Step 3. "Cannot connect to the Docker daemon"
For a portable, non-admin installation, use Scoop: scoop install docker Method 4: Docker CLI via WSL 2