diff --git a/packages/backend/src/managers/applicationManager.ts b/packages/backend/src/managers/applicationManager.ts
index 7dd31722f..8b0a39d7e 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/managers/applicationManager.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/managers/applicationManager.ts
@@ -26,11 +26,12 @@ import {
   type TelemetryLogger,
   type PodInfo,
   type Webview,
+  HostConfig,
 } from '@podman-desktop/api';
 import type { AIConfig, AIConfigFile, ContainerConfig } from '../models/AIConfig';
 import { parseYamlFile } from '../models/AIConfig';
 import type { Task } from '@shared/src/models/ITask';
-import { getParentDirectory } from '../utils/pathUtils';
+import { getMappedPathInPodmanMachine, getParentDirectory } from '../utils/pathUtils';
 import type { ModelInfo } from '@shared/src/models/IModelInfo';
 import type { ModelsManager } from './modelsManager';
 import { getPortsInfo } from '../utils/ports';
@@ -259,26 +260,24 @@ export class ApplicationManager extends Publisher<ApplicationState[]> {
     const containers: ContainerAttachedInfo[] = [];
     await Promise.all(
       images.map(async image => {
-        let hostConfig: unknown;
+        let hostConfig: HostConfig;
         let envs: string[] = [];
         // if it's a model service we mount the model as a volume
         if (image.modelService) {
           const modelName = path.basename(modelPath);
+          const mappedMountPath = getMappedPathInPodmanMachine(modelPath);
           hostConfig = {
-            AutoRemove: true,
             Mounts: [
               {
                 Target: `/${modelName}`,
-                Source: modelPath,
+                Source: mappedMountPath,
                 Type: 'bind',
+                Mode: 'Z',
               },
             ],
           };
           envs = [`MODEL_PATH=/${modelName}`];
         } else {
-          hostConfig = {
-            AutoRemove: true,
-          };
           // TODO: remove static port
           const modelService = images.find(image => image.modelService);
           if (modelService && modelService.ports.length > 0) {
@@ -286,35 +285,22 @@ export class ApplicationManager extends Publisher<ApplicationState[]> {
             envs = [`MODEL_ENDPOINT=${endPoint}`];
           }
         }
-        const createdContainer = await containerEngine.createContainer(podInfo.engineId, {
+
+        const podifiedName = this.getRandomName(`${image.appName}-podified`);
+        await containerEngine.createContainer(podInfo.engineId, {
           Image: image.id,
+          name: podifiedName,
           Detach: true,
           HostConfig: hostConfig,
           Env: envs,
           start: false,
+          pod: podInfo.Id,
+        });
+        containers.push({
+          name: podifiedName,
+          modelService: image.modelService,
+          ports: image.ports,
         });
-
-        // now, for each container, put it in the pod
-        if (createdContainer) {
-          const podifiedName = this.getRandomName(`${image.appName}-podified`);
-          await containerEngine.replicatePodmanContainer(
-            {
-              id: createdContainer.id,
-              engineId: podInfo.engineId,
-            },
-            { engineId: podInfo.engineId },
-            { pod: podInfo.Id, name: podifiedName },
-          );
-          containers.push({
-            name: podifiedName,
-            modelService: image.modelService,
-            ports: image.ports,
-          });
-          // remove the external container
-          await containerEngine.deleteContainer(podInfo.engineId, createdContainer.id);
-        } else {
-          throw new Error(`failed at creating container for image ${image.id}`);
-        }
       }),
     );
     return containers;
diff --git a/packages/backend/src/utils/pathUtils.ts b/packages/backend/src/utils/pathUtils.ts
index f3fb60d6b..bd0111e2f 100644
--- a/packages/backend/src/utils/pathUtils.ts
+++ b/packages/backend/src/utils/pathUtils.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
  * SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
  ***********************************************************************/
 
+import { env } from '@podman-desktop/api';
 import path from 'path';
 
 export function getParentDirectory(filePath: string): string {
@@ -25,3 +26,11 @@ export function getParentDirectory(filePath: string): string {
   // Get the directory name using path.dirname
   return path.dirname(normalizedPath);
 }
+
+export function getMappedPathInPodmanMachine(path: string): string {
+  if (env.isWindows) {
+    path = path.replace(':', '').replace(/\\/g, '/').toLowerCase();
+    return `/mnt/${path}`;
+  }
+  return path;
+}
\ No newline at end of file