# Cannot start/restart Node-Red Docker Desktop (Windows)

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** docker\
**Created:** [18 August 2025 14:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721 "2025-08-18T14:35:43Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![maulanamuslih](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/maulanamuslih/32/101417_2.png) [@maulanamuslih](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/maulanamuslih)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2025 14:35 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/1 "2025-08-18T14:35:43Z")

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How do I find the location of the setting.js file on Windows? I previously edited the file, but there was an error in the functionglobal command.

Error loading settings file: /data/settings.js /data/settings.js:517 functionGlobalContext: {

 ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/3X/b/5/b511413fae57685519e2eab06ed58d2f0e6fc1c6.png)

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**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2025 15:17 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/2 "2025-08-18T15:17:43Z")

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It is wherever the /data volume is mapped to in your docker setup.

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**Author:** ![omrid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@omrid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/omrid)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2025 15:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/3 "2025-08-18T15:53:14Z")

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> [@maulanamuslih](#):
>
> How do I find the location of the setting.js file on Windows?

on Windows it is by default in your user (home) directory, which by default is c:\users\_your-username_\.node-red. (unless you explicitly set different paths)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2025 16:00 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/4 "2025-08-18T16:00:04Z")

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> [@omrid](#):
>
> on Windows it is by default in your user (home) directory, which by default is c:\users\*your-username\*.node-red. (unless you explicitly set different paths)

Is that correct when running under docker?

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**Author:** ![omrid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/77aa72/32.png) [@omrid](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/omrid)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2025 16:06 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/5 "2025-08-18T16:06:39Z")

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No, you are 100% correct in what you said re docker. But he asked about Windows. I assumed that he is developing under Windows (and then creating a docker image out of it).

Obviously, the Windows settings.js needs to be tweaked for docker, mostly WRT paths

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Colin](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/colin/32/17040_2.png) [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)\
**Post date:** [18 August 2025 16:09 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/6 "2025-08-18T16:09:52Z")

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I think that @maulanamuslih needs to clarify which docker image he is running and how he is running it.

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**Author:** ![maulanamuslih](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/maulanamuslih/32/101417_2.png) [@maulanamuslih](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/maulanamuslih)\
**Post date:** [1 September 2025 03:13 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/7 "2025-09-01T03:13:40Z")

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Thank you all for your help, I have found the location of node-red settings.js  
It is at \wsl.localhost\docker-desktop\mnt\docker-desktop-disk\data\docker\overlay2

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**Author:** ![kuema](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/kuema/32/6542_2.png) [@kuema](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/kuema)\
**Post date:** [1 September 2025 04:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/8 "2025-09-01T04:10:18Z")

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That path does look like you're data is in the writable layer of your container.  
Also, you shouldn't modify anything inside those directories, those are Docker internal.

You should use a volume or bind mount for your `/data` location, otherwise your data will be lost when you recreate the container!

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [15 September 2025 04:10 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/cannot-start-restart-node-red-docker-desktop-windows/98721/9 "2025-09-15T04:10:21Z")

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