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Default containerd version installed by install-containerd-runtime.ps1 causes container system PATH errors. #619
Description
Describe the bug
Following the official documentation, the script installs containerd v1.6.6 when using default parameters.
Unfortunately this version contains a serious bug that was fixed only in v1.6.26 (and v1.7.11).
The bug causes the container system PATH to be set as Linux folders (!?), causing havoc to the most basic of applications.
Even powershell image fails (due to not finding pwsh.exe in system PATH):
PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:lts-nanoserver-ltsc2022
time="2025-10-31T00:25:00-07:00" level=fatal msg="hcs::System::CreateProcess 110f1e446ebb96c96f76a7626c439279f633212fb069ed0c8b0e33cf1c488216: The system cannot find the file specified.: unknown"PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:lts-nanoserver-ltsc2022 pwsh
time="2025-10-31T00:25:02-07:00" level=fatal msg="hcs::System::CreateProcess c2a5c8c369c02944e79bffde84555f9570275568eaa24a997b72a00abe6d6262: The system cannot find the file specified.: unknown"PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/powershell:lts-nanoserver-ltsc2022 "C:\Program Files\PowerShell\pwsh.exe"
PowerShell 7.2.19
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation.
https://aka.ms/powershell
Type 'help' to get help.
PS C:\Windows\System32> $env:PATH
Error reading or writing history file 'Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadLine\ConsoleHost_history.txt': Access to the path 'C:\Windows\system32\Microsoft\Windows\PowerShell\PSReadLine' is denied.
ưmC:\Program Files\PowerShell;/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/binTo Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:
- On a Hyper-V VM, with a clean Windows Server 2022 install
- Run the installer script with no additional command line parameters:
Invoke-WebRequest -UseBasicParsing "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/microsoft/Windows-Containers/Main/helpful_tools/Install-ContainerdRuntime/install-containerd-runtime.ps1" -o install-containerd-runtime.ps1 .\install-containerd-runtime.ps1
- Start any Windows container image
& 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2022 # or & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' run --rm -it mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2022
- Check the container system PATH:
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.20348.4297] (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. C:\Windows\system32>echo %PATH% /usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin
Expected behavior
Containers system PATH set as expected for a Windows environment.
Configuration:
- Edition: Windows Server 2022
- Base Image being used: Windows Server Core / Windows Nano Core
- Container engine: containerd
- Container Engine version: 1.6.6
PS C:\> Get-ComputerInfo -Property OSName, OSVersion, WindowsProductName, WindowsVersion
OsName OsVersion WindowsProductName WindowsVersion
------ --------- ------------------ --------------
Microsoft Windows Server 2022 Standard 10.0.20348 Windows Server 2022 Standard 2009PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\containerd\bin\ctr.exe' version
Client:
Version: v1.6.6
Revision: 10c12954828e7c7c9b6e0ea9b0c02b01407d3ae1
Go version: go1.17.11
Server:
Version: v1.6.6
Revision: 10c12954828e7c7c9b6e0ea9b0c02b01407d3ae1
UUID: 4195684b-ac60-4d65-bf98-bf8b57fb62d0PS C:\> & 'C:\Program Files\nerdctl\nerdctl.exe' version
Client:
Version: v0.21.0
OS/Arch: windows/amd64
Git commit: 9ddf5226eabcbb7b4b43987f3b0f8d53d86d3bca
Server:
containerd:
Version: v1.6.6
GitCommit: 10c12954828e7c7c9b6e0ea9b0c02b01407d3ae1
Activity
github-actions commentedon Oct 31, 2025
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.
microsoft-github-policy-service commentedon Dec 2, 2025
This issue has been open for 30 days with no updates.
no assignees, please provide an update or close this issue.
fjs4 commentedon Dec 2, 2025
Hi F.D.Castel (@fdcastel),
Thanks for the report. Out of curiosity, you noted that this is fixed in later versions of containerD. Are you not able to move forward to one of those newer versions?
Thanks,
Erick
fdcastel commentedon Dec 3, 2025
I’ve resolved the issue by using the newer versions.
This report is simply to highlight that the script should be updated.
microsoft-github-policy-service commentedon Jan 8, 2026
This issue has been open for 30 days with no updates.
no assignees, please provide an update or close this issue.
microsoft-github-policy-service commentedon Feb 10, 2026
This issue has been open for 30 days with no updates.
no assignees, please provide an update or close this issue.
microsoft-github-policy-service commentedon Mar 16, 2026
This issue has been open for 30 days with no updates.
no assignees, please provide an update or close this issue.
microsoft-github-policy-service commentedon Apr 15, 2026
This issue has been open for 30 days with no updates.
no assignees, please provide an update or close this issue.
chaitanya51906312 commentedon Apr 23, 2026
The required changes have been merged successfully. Closing this issue as resolved.