Docker on Windows fails to install with `failed to load vmcompute.dll`

[kichik]

Starting with Docker v29.2.0 running dockerd --register-service tries to confirm virtualization is enabled. Our installation script does enable virtualization, but doesn't reboot between that and dockerd --register-service. This feels like a bug with Docker since dockerd doesn't really need to load vmcompute.dll to register itself.

CloudWatch log for the image builder has this error:

  | 2026-02-03T16:22:44.303Z | Stdout: DEBUG: 16+ >>>> dockerd --register-service
  | 2026-02-03T16:22:44.435Z | Stdout: DEBUG: 17+ if ( >>>> $LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Exit code is $LASTEXITCODE" }
  | 2026-02-03T16:22:44.437Z | Stdout: DEBUG: 17+ if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { >>>> throw "Exit code is $LASTEXITCODE" }
  | 2026-02-03T16:22:44.639Z | CmdExecution: Command execution has been completed
  | 2026-02-03T16:22:44.639Z | CmdExecution: [ ERROR ] Command execution has resulted in an error
  | 2026-02-03T16:22:44.639Z | CmdExecution: Stderr: system requirements not met: failed to load vmcompute.dll, ensure that the Containers feature is installed Exit code is 1 At C:\Windows\SystemTemp\AWSTOE2730943766\script-152372072.ps1:17 char:28 + if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "Exit code is $LASTEXITCODE" } + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ + CategoryInfo : OperationStopped: (Exit code is 1:String) [], RuntimeException + FullyQualifiedErrorId : Exit code is 1
  | 2026-02-03T16:22:44.639Z | CmdExecution: ExitCode 1

This breaks building of runner images for Windows. The quickest workaround right now is to remove docker from your images with something like:

const ec2WindowsImageBuilder = Ec2RunnerProvider.imageBuilder(stack, 'Windows EC2 Builder', {
  os: Os.WINDOWS,
});

// remove docker installation step
ec2WindowsImageBuilder.removeComponent(RunnerImageComponent.docker());

new GitHubRunners(stack, 'runners', {
  providers: [
    new Ec2RunnerProvider(stack, 'EC2 Windows', {
      labels: ['ec2', 'windows', 'x64'],
      imageBuilder: ec2WindowsImageBuilder,
      vpc,
    }),
  ],
});

[pharindoko]

same issue

[kichik]

Docker already fixed the issue, but version v29.2.2 hasn't been released yet.

For now you can upgrade to our v0.14.23 and use something like:

const ec2WindowsImageBuilder = Ec2RunnerProvider.imageBuilder(stack, 'Windows EC2 Builder', {
  os: Os.WINDOWS,
});

// replace docker installation step
ec2WindowsImageBuilder.removeComponent(RunnerImageComponent.docker());
ec2WindowsImageBuilder.addComponent(RunnerImageComponent.docker('29.1.5'));

new GitHubRunners(stack, 'runners', {
  providers: [
    new Ec2RunnerProvider(stack, 'EC2 Windows', {
      labels: ['ec2', 'windows', 'x64'],
      imageBuilder: ec2WindowsImageBuilder,
      vpc,
    }),
  ],
});

[kichik]

If we ever need to get rid of the docker installer in the future, we can use:

'$scCreateArgs = @(\'create\', \'docker\', \'binPath=\', "\\""$Env:ProgramFiles\\Docker\\dockerd.exe\\"" --run-service", \'start=\', \'auto\', \'DisplayName=\', \'Docker Engine\')',
'& sc.exe $scCreateArgs',
'if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "sc create failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }',
'$scFailureArgs = @(\'failure\', \'docker\', \'reset= 86400\', \'actions= restart/15000/restart/15000/""/0\')',
'& sc.exe $scFailureArgs',
'if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "sc failure failed with exit code $LASTEXITCODE" }',

[kichik]

Fixed in Docker v29.3.0.