Can not start Windows Server 2025 container on Windows Server 2025 host system

[agentS]

Describe the bug
When running a Windows Server Core 2025 or Windows Server 2025 container, the container fails at startup with the message container cc7a5b429b4a803d09fae3ddb98d97dcedaa9d6e2ee000b43df7b261fdc1750d encountered an error during hcs::System::Start: failure in a Windows system call: Der virtuelle Computer oder Container wurde unerwartet beendet. (0xc0370106). However, it is possible to run the Windows Nano Server 2025 image.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

• Install the container feature and Moby on Windows Server 2025 according to the installation instructions on Microsoft's website
• Pull the Windows Nano Server 2025 container: docker pull mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2025
• Pull the Windows Server 2025 Core container: mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2025
• Run the Windows Nano Server 2025 container:

docker run mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2025
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.26100.4061]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

• Run the Windows Server 2025 Core container:

docker run mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2025
docker: Error response from daemon: container cc7a5b429b4a803d09fae3ddb98d97dcedaa9d6e2ee000b43df7b261fdc1750d encountered an error during hcs::System::Start: failure in a Windows system call: Der virtuelle Computer oder Container wurde unerwartet beendet. (0xc0370106)

Run 'docker run --help' for more information

Expected behavior
Both the Windows Nano Server 2025 and the Windows Server 2025 Core container should print the command prompt. In other words, the Windows Server 2025 Core container should start without issues.

Configuration:

• Edition: Windows Server 2025 Standard
• Base Image being used: Windows Server 2025 Core
• Container engine: moby (Docker CE)
• Container Engine version 28.1.1

Additional context

Below please find the output of docker events while running the containers:

> docker events
2025-05-26T15:57:09.252513900+02:00 container create 585f6c32acd25ecbb4ef2f4802806863e98f41a05ab18c2a24ff6bf76b52c9a1 (image=mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2025, name=epic_jemison)
2025-05-26T15:57:09.256641700+02:00 container attach 585f6c32acd25ecbb4ef2f4802806863e98f41a05ab18c2a24ff6bf76b52c9a1 (image=mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2025, name=epic_jemison)
2025-05-26T15:57:09.561224000+02:00 network connect c875137a16ace401634a6fafc794fc48f221e48383f3476f6ff9175f7bb45a18 (container=585f6c32acd25ecbb4ef2f4802806863e98f41a05ab18c2a24ff6bf76b52c9a1, name=nat, type=nat)
2025-05-26T15:57:12.905764700+02:00 container start 585f6c32acd25ecbb4ef2f4802806863e98f41a05ab18c2a24ff6bf76b52c9a1 (image=mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2025, name=epic_jemison)
2025-05-26T15:57:13.697307700+02:00 network disconnect c875137a16ace401634a6fafc794fc48f221e48383f3476f6ff9175f7bb45a18 (container=585f6c32acd25ecbb4ef2f4802806863e98f41a05ab18c2a24ff6bf76b52c9a1, name=nat, type=nat)
2025-05-26T15:57:13.956790900+02:00 container die 585f6c32acd25ecbb4ef2f4802806863e98f41a05ab18c2a24ff6bf76b52c9a1 (execDuration=0, exitCode=0, image=mcr.microsoft.com/windows/nanoserver:ltsc2025, name=epic_jemison)
2025-05-26T15:57:21.168660100+02:00 container create cc7a5b429b4a803d09fae3ddb98d97dcedaa9d6e2ee000b43df7b261fdc1750d (image=mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2025, name=strange_thompson)
2025-05-26T15:57:21.171348000+02:00 container attach cc7a5b429b4a803d09fae3ddb98d97dcedaa9d6e2ee000b43df7b261fdc1750d (image=mcr.microsoft.com/windows/servercore:ltsc2025, name=strange_thompson)
2025-05-26T15:57:21.411480500+02:00 network connect c875137a16ace401634a6fafc794fc48f221e48383f3476f6ff9175f7bb45a18 (container=cc7a5b429b4a803d09fae3ddb98d97dcedaa9d6e2ee000b43df7b261fdc1750d, name=nat, type=nat)
2025-05-26T15:57:23.027187400+02:00 network disconnect c875137a16ace401634a6fafc794fc48f221e48383f3476f6ff9175f7bb45a18 (container=cc7a5b429b4a803d09fae3ddb98d97dcedaa9d6e2ee000b43df7b261fdc1750d, name=nat, type=nat)

Below is the output of docker info

Client:
 Version:    28.1.1
 Context:    default
 Debug Mode: false

Server:
 Containers: 2
  Running: 0
  Paused: 0
  Stopped: 2
 Images: 3
 Server Version: 28.1.1
 Storage Driver: windowsfilter
  Windows:
 Logging Driver: json-file
 Plugins:
  Volume: local
  Network: ics internal l2bridge l2tunnel nat null overlay private transparent
  Log: awslogs etwlogs fluentd gcplogs gelf json-file local splunk syslog
 Swarm: inactive
 Default Isolation: process
 Kernel Version: 10.0 26100 (26100.1.amd64fre.ge_release.240331-1435)
 Operating System: Microsoft Windows Server Version 24H2 (OS Build 26100.1742)
 OSType: windows
 Architecture: x86_64
 CPUs: 4
 Total Memory: 7.979GiB
 Name: xyz
 ID: xyz
 Docker Root Dir: C:\ProgramData\docker
 Debug Mode: false
 Experimental: false
 Insecure Registries:
  ::1/128
  127.0.0.0/8
 Live Restore Enabled: false
 Product License: Community Engine

Unfortunately, the event viewer does not print any helpful messages that are not already part of the Docker output.

Can you please provide assistance on how to see additional log messages? Thank you so much for your help!

[github-actions]

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.

[kw1007]

I am also seeing similar issue on image mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/framework/runtime:4.8-windowsservercore-ltsc2019 running on Windows Server 2019 with a few scenarios.

In my case, the host has fallen behind on Windows updates due to something with the update catalog. The latest two 4.8-windowsservercore-ltsc2019 image tags fail to run with the same (0xc0370106) error in process isolation mode. I can work around it by running in hyperv isolation mode.

• 4.8-20250424-windowsservercore-ltsc2019
• 4.8-20250513-windowsservercore-ltsc2019

However, it runs fine in process isolation mode on tag version (Initial April release and prior):

• 4.8-20250410-windowsservercore-ltsc2019

I am able to run all images on a new Windows 2019 host with the latest cumulative update (Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.17763.7314] ).

Added my findings since I felt this may be related to the original post.

[agentS]

Thank you @kw1007. The host had not had the update KB5058411 installed and after installing the update, the containers could be run.

Thus, the issue can be considered closed.