Issue

Container failed to start with error “docker: Error response from daemon: container <id>  encountered an error during Start: failure in a Windows system call: The wait operation timed out. (0x102)”

Symptoms:

• All the windows Containers failed to start with error message: docker: Error response from daemon: container <id>  encountered an error during Start: failure in a Windows system call: The wait operation timed out. (0x102)

• Windows Container Host was recently patched with KB4532691: February 11, 2020

• However, after removing the windows update KB4532691 Windows Container Host, we were able to start Container successfully

• Found that there was a open bug for this issue and public article was also published addressing this same issue, where we may encounter issues using Windows Server containers if the container host or container image has the February 11, 2020 security update

Microsoft KB Article:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-in/help/4542617/you-might-encounter-issues-when-using-windows-server-containers-with-t

Cause

This issue was the result of a security change which required an interface change between user mode and kernel mode. Since process isolated containers share the kernel mode with the container host and the container images, user mode component without the update were both incompatible and unsecured with the new secured kernel interface.

Solution:

Update container host to the February 11, 2020 security update release and the container images released on February 18, 2020.

Workaround:  

Remove KB4532691: February 11, 2020 from Windows Container Host (make sure that we are using Container Image release on February 18, 2020)