Upgrade process after installing with install-docker-ce.ps1 #614

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1. Andrew Fisher (andyfisher100)

   added

   questionFurther information is requestedFurther information is requested

   triageNew and needs attentionNew and needs attention

   on Sep 29, 2025
2. github-actions commented on Sep 29, 2025

   

   github-actionsBot

   on Sep 29, 2025 – with GitHub Actions

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   Thank you for creating an Issue. Please note that GitHub is not an official channel for Microsoft support requests. To create an official support request, please open a ticket here. Microsoft and the GitHub Community strive to provide a best effort in answering questions and supporting Issues on GitHub.
3. ntrappe-cmu commented on Nov 7, 2025

   

   Nicole Trappe (ntrappe-cmu)

   on Nov 7, 2025

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   There's a PR out but it hasn't been approved yet.
4. gerneio commented on Nov 12, 2025

   

   gerneio

   on Nov 12, 2025

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   This PR I'm assuming #599?
5. nagulshaik199 commented on May 15, 2026

   

   nagulshaik199

   on May 15, 2026

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   Hi Andrew Fisher (@andyfisher100),

   Thank you for your patience. We've successfully reproduced this issue and have a verified workaround.

   ---

   Environment Reproduced

   Node	Role	Engine Version
   Manager	Leader	29.4.0
   Worker	Worker	29.4.3

   ---

   Root Cause

   Docker CE on Windows does not have a built-in upgrade command. Nodes installed at different times can end up on different engine versions, causing a version mismatch across the swarm.

   ---

   Verified Workaround — In-Place Binary Replacement

   Follow these steps on each node that needs to be upgraded, starting with worker nodes first, then managers one at a time.

   Step 1: Drain the Node

   Run this from a manager node to safely reschedule workloads:

   docker node update --availability drain <node-name>

   Step 2: Stop the Docker Service

   On the target node, stop Docker:

   Stop-Service docker

   Step 3: Download the Desired Docker CE Binaries

   Download dockerd.exe and docker.exe from the official Moby Releases page for your target version.

   Step 4: Replace the Existing Binaries

   Replace the binaries in the Docker installation directory:

   C:\Program Files\Docker\
   

   Step 5: Restart the Docker Service

   Start-Service docker

   Step 6: Re-Activate the Node

   From a manager node, set the node back to active:

   docker node update --availability active <node-name>

   Step 7: Verify the Upgrade

   docker node ls

   Confirm the node now shows the expected engine version.

   ---

   Important Notes

   • ✅ This approach preserves containers, images, networks, and swarm membership — no need to rejoin the swarm
   • ⚠️ Upgrade worker nodes first, then managers one at a time to maintain quorum
   • 🔁 Run docker node ls after each node upgrade to verify version consistency
   • 🛑 If anything goes wrong, restore the original binaries and restart the service to roll back

   ---

   Conclusion

   We have verified this workaround in our reproduction environment and confirmed that services continue to run without disruption across nodes after the upgrade.

   Please let us know if you have any questions or run into issues applying these steps.

   👍React with 👍1Reacted by Andrew Fisher
6. nagulshaik199 commented on Jun 3, 2026

   

   nagulshaik199

   on Jun 3, 2026

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   Hi Andrew Fisher (@andyfisher100),

   we shared the reproduction steps along with the verified fix on this thread approximately two weeks ago. Since we haven't heard back, we'll go ahead and close this issue for now. If you need any further assistance or run into additional concerns, please don't hesitate to reopen it. We're happy to help.
7. nagulshaik199

   closed this as completedon Jun 3, 2026
8. andyfisher100 commented on Jun 10, 2026

   

   Andrew Fisher (andyfisher100)

   on Jun 10, 2026

   Last edited by andyfisher100

   Author

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   I have tested the steps and this worked well for me. Thank you!