Start all Docker containers

To start (bring up) all existing Docker containers, use this:

docker start $(docker ps -aq)

Explanation

• docker ps -aq → lists all containers (running or stopped)
• docker start → starts stopped containers

If you are using Docker Compose

From the directory with docker-compose.yml:

docker compose up -d

Or for multiple compose projects (containers already created):

docker compose start

Useful checks

See all containers and their status:

docker ps -a

See only running containers:

docker ps

Common gotcha (based on your recent Docker issues)

If you see access forbidden, it means:

• Image not pulled (private registry)
• Not logged in

Login first:

docker login

Then retry:

docker start $(docker ps -aq)