Error response from daemon: You cannot remove a running container. Stop the container before attempting removal or force remove
docker rm refuses to delete a container that is still running.
You cannot remove a running containerStop the container before attempting removal or force removecannot remove container Meaning
Stop it first, or use docker rm -f to stop and remove in one step. For Compose projects, docker compose down stops and removes everything.
Common causes
- Container still running
- Restart policy brought it back up after stop
⚡ Quick fix
- docker stop c && docker rm c
- docker rm -f c
- docker compose down for Compose projects
Detailed fix by platform
Docker
- bash
docker rm -f web docker compose down
How to diagnose
- State — docker ps | grep web
- Restart policy — docker inspect -f '{{.HostConfig.RestartPolicy.Name}}' web
🔧 Still not fixed?
Many errors look alike. If the steps above didn’t solve it, one of these is probably what you’re facing:
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- client version is too new Error response from daemon: client version 1.45 is too new. Maximum supported API version is 1.41
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Other ways to find it
Where this error sits
Origin: Platform & cloud. Errors that are often confused with or caused by this one (click to open):
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Last updated 13 Oct 2026