Use this whenever you're self-hosting anything in a container (n8n, a database, a small API) and want it to keep running without manually starting Docker every time you log in.
Steps
- Download Docker Desktop from docker.com for Windows.
- Run the installer. If it prompts about WSL2 being required, let it install that too, it'll likely ask for a restart.
- Open Docker Desktop once installed, confirm it shows "Docker is running" (green whale icon in the system tray).
- Go to the gear icon (Settings) → General.
- Check "Start Docker Desktop when you sign in to your computer."
- Click Apply & Restart.
Gotcha
Enabling auto-start on Docker Desktop is not the same as your containers auto-resuming. Each container also needs restart: unless-stopped set in its own docker-compose.yml, otherwise Docker itself starts but your actual services stay stopped.
Quick reference
services:
your-service:
image: your-image
restart: unless-stopped
Test it properly by doing a real full restart of the machine, not just closing Docker Desktop's window, and confirming the container is running again afterward without touching anything manually.