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

[andyfisher100]

I have a number of machines that have docker installed using the script helpful_tools/Install-DockerCE/install-docker-ce.ps1 as per the documentation https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/virtualization/windowscontainers/quick-start/set-up-environment?tabs=dockerce#windows-server-2

My hosts have then been setup to be a swarm cluster

A lot of the original hosts now have an outdated version of docker which needs updating to remain compatible with new hosts that have the latest version of docker installed.

Is there an upgrade process other than uninstalling and then reinstalling using the script?

[github-actions]

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[ntrappe-cmu]

There's a PR out but it hasn't been approved yet.

[gerneio]

This PR I'm assuming #599?

[nagulshaik199]

Hi Andrew Fisher (@andyfisher100),

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

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Environment Reproduced

Node	Role	Engine Version
Manager	Leader	29.4.0
Worker	Worker	29.4.3

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

[nagulshaik199]

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.

[andyfisher100]

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