My First Steps with Docker on Windows 10 (Part 2): From Install to WordPress in 5 Minutes

Reading time: ~7 minutes

Recap of Part 1: In Part 1 I explained why I chose Docker on my Windows 10 PC and how a containerized WordPress lets me learn safely without touching my live site. In this follow up, we install Docker Desktop, run a quick test, then start WordPress with Docker Compose.

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Why run Docker WordPress on Windows 10

If you want a clean and isolated WordPress to test themes, plugins, or migrations, Docker on Windows 10 is a simple and repeatable approach. It keeps experiments in a sandbox, so your main system remains untouched. You can start fresh at any time. In my case, this setup is run on Lil beast.

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What you will do in this guide

• Install Docker Desktop on Windows 10 with WSL 2
• Run the classic hello‑world container to verify the setup
• Launch WordPress with MariaDB using Docker Compose
• Fix three common first‑time errors

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Prerequisites

• Windows 10 64‑bit with WSL 2 enabled
• Administrator rights on your PC
• Around 4 GB free RAM while WordPress is running

Tip: Windows 10 Home works. Docker Desktop uses WSL 2 to run Linux containers, which is perfect for a WordPress stack.

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Step 1: Install Docker Desktop with WSL 2

1. Download and run the Docker Desktop installer.
2. Keep the default option that enables the WSL 2 backend.
3. Restart if prompted, then launch Docker Desktop.
4. The docker desktop icon will appear at system tray. When mouse is hovered, it will show “Docker Desktop is running”.

If you see a message about WSL 2 not being available, open “Turn Windows features on or off,” tick “Windows Subsystem for Linux,” reboot, then reopen Docker Desktop.

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Step 2: Verify Docker with a tiny test container

Open PowerShell and run:

docker --version
docker run hello-world

You should see a friendly message from the container. That confirms Docker is working.

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Step 3: Start WordPress with Docker Compose

3.1 Create the project folder

Create a folder for this stack. You can create it from File Explorer. For example:

C:\Projects\wp-docker\

3.2 Add two files: .env and compose.yml

Use .env to keep credentials and ports out of the Compose file. Replace the passwords with strong values.

.env

# .env

compose.yml

# compose.yml
name: ${PROJECT_NAME}

services:
  db:
    image: mariadb:11
    restart: unless-stopped
    environment:
      MYSQL_DATABASE: ${DB_NAME}
      MYSQL_USER: ${DB_USER}
      MYSQL_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
      MYSQL_ROOT_PASSWORD: ${DB_ROOT_PASSWORD}
    volumes:
      - db_data:/var/lib/mysql

  wordpress:
    image: wordpress:php8.2-apache
    depends_on:
      - db
    ports:
      - "${WP_PORT}:80"     # Open http://localhost:8080
    environment:
      WORDPRESS_DB_HOST: db:3306
      WORDPRESS_DB_USER: ${DB_USER}
      WORDPRESS_DB_PASSWORD: ${DB_PASSWORD}
      WORDPRESS_DB_NAME: ${DB_NAME}
    volumes:
      - wp_data:/var/www/html
    restart: unless-stopped

volumes:
  db_data:
  wp_data:

3.3 Bring the stack up

From the project folder, run:

docker compose up -d

Open http://localhost:8080 and complete the WordPress setup wizard.

To stop the stack later:

docker compose down
``

Your data lives in named volumes wp_data and db_data. Stopping the stack does not remove content. If you want a clean slate, remove volumes as well:

docker compose down -v

Beginner tips that help a lot

• Start with official images for WordPress and MariaDB to avoid surprises.
• Use environment variables or secrets for credentials. Avoid hardcoding passwords.
• Choose a clear folder name. Docker Compose uses it in container and network names.
• Keep track of exposed ports, for example 8080, to avoid conflicts with other tools.

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Quick troubleshooting

1) Port already in use
Change WP_PORT in .env, for example set it to 8081, then run docker compose up -d again.

2) WordPress cannot connect to the database
Confirm WORDPRESS_DB_HOST is db:3306. Check logs to see what failed.

docker compose logs db
docker compose logs wordpress

3) First start takes a while
Images download the first time. Later starts are much faster.

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Final thoughts

This Docker WordPress on Windows 10 setup gives you a safe test space that is easy to reset. In Part 3 I will show a quick backup and restore workflow so you can try bold changes without fear.