Failed to remove network for build: Error during connect in the default daemon configuration on Windows, the Docker client must be run with elevated privileges

Docker executor is a great option is to use Docker as it allows a clean build environment, with easy dependency management (all dependencies for building the project can be put in the Docker image). The Docker executor allows you to easily create a build environment with dependent services, like MySQL. It may also interest you to know that, Docker Desktop is an easy-to-install application for your Mac or Windows environment that enables you to build and share containerized applications and microservices. Docker Desktop includes Docker Engine, Docker CLI client, Docker Compose, Docker Content Trust, Kubernetes, and Credential Helper.

Kindly refer to these related guides: How to create and deploy a local Registry Server with Docker Image, how to Pull your first Nginx Container Image from Docker Hub and deploy it to your local machine, Azure DevOps and GitHub integration for Docker and Kubernetes deployment, how to create a static pod in Kubernetes, and how to install, register and start GitLab Runner on Windows.

The error below was prompted because, the GitLab -runner was installed and registered with the Docker as the executor as discussed in this guide, but Docker was NEVER installed on the server. You may also want to see how to install and uninstall Docker Desktop on Windows 10 and Windows Server.

GitLab Runner uses Docker Engine API v1.25 to talk to the Docker Engine. This means the minimum supported version of Docker on a Linux server is 1.13.0, on Windows Server it needs to be more recent to identify the Windows Server version. You may wish to read more, please use this link.

Solution – Install Docker

For successful compatibility with GitLab Runner on a Windows Server, running an up-to-date Docker version is crucial. Docker 17.06, for example, is known to cause problems and can trigger errors like “Failed to remove network for build.” Docker’s inability to accurately identify the Windows Server version causes this issue, emphasizing the need for a compatible Docker version.

Here is an unsupported  Windows Version: Windows Server Datacenter. You may wish to read more.

Follow this guide for installing Docker on Windows and complete the necessary steps. “How to install and uninstall Docker Desktop on Windows 10 and Windows Server“. Please download the Docker Desktop from the Docker site and please proceed with the installation.