[Tip] How to Enable and Use “Windows Sandbox” in Windows 10

What is Windows Sandbox and What are its Usage?

Windows Sandbox is a new feature present in newer versions of Windows 10 which allows users to run and test programs in a secure environment. This new feature has been introduced in Windows 10 to improve safety and security of users computers. It was previously referred as InPrivate Desktop when it was under development and testing.

Windows Sandbox is a lightweight, isolated, temporary and virtual desktop environment similar to a virtual machine which helps users in running software programs safely in isolation. For example, you downloaded an executable file such as setup installer or a portable application and you are afraid of installing or running it in your computer as it might be a potentially suspicious software and may contain virus or malware. In such situation, you can run the executable in Windows Sandbox which will not affect your host or main computer system.

Any software program installed or executed in Windows Sandbox will not affect the host system i.e. your Windows 10 device. The program stays only inside Windows Sandbox and doesn’t impact your main PC. It happens because Windows Sandbox uses hardware-based virtualization for kernel isolation utilizing Microsoft’s hypervisor to run a separate kernel which helps isolating Windows Sandbox from the main host.

As soon as you close Windows Sandbox, it automatically deletes all files and system state. When you launch Windows Sandbox again, it starts fresh and clean just like a brand new Windows 10 installation.

Windows Sandbox can be considered as a virtual copy of Windows 10 running inside a real Windows 10 computer system.

Windows Sandbox can also be used if you need to clean install Windows 10 for some testing purposes. Windows Sandbox launches a clean image of Windows 10 desktop similar to the desktop which you get after clean installing Windows 10 in computers.

How to Enable or Activate Windows Sandbox in Windows 10?

Windows Sandbox feature is not activated or enabled by default in Windows 10. It comes disabled and interested users need to manually install or turn it on.

Prerequisites:

Following are prerequisites for enabling and using Windows Sandbox feature in Windows 10 operating system:

• Windows Sandbox is available only in Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions (Not available in Home edition)
• AMD64 architecture
• Virtualization capabilities must be enabled in BIOS settings
• It requires at least 4 GB of RAM (although recommended RAM is 8 GB)
• It requires at least 1 GB of free disk space (SSD is recommended)
• It requires at least 2 CPU cores (4 cores with hyperthreading are recommended)

How-to Install Windows Sandbox Feature in Windows 10:

To install Windows Sandbox feature, open “Turn Windows features on or off” window. You can direct open it using optionalfeatures.exe command in RUN dialog box or search box. Alternatively, you can open it from Control Panel -> Programs and Features.

Now scroll down in “Turn Windows features on or off” window and you’ll see “Windows Sandbox” option which is unchecked by default.

Enable the checkbox given for Windows Sandbox option and click on OK button. It’ll take a few seconds in installing the feature and will require a reboot.

Restart Windows and it’ll install and enable Windows Sandbox feature in Windows 10.

How to Use Windows Sandbox in Windows 10?

Once you installed and enabled Windows Sandbox feature in Windows 10, you can run it from Start Menu.

Look for Windows Sandbox shortcut in Start Menu programs list. Click on the shortcut to start Windows Sandbox feature.

It’ll take a few seconds in launching and preparing Windows Sandbox with a clean Windows 10 desktop environment.

PS: If Sandbox launches and the window disappears or closes automatically after a few seconds, you’ll need to open Windows Sandbox with elevated privileges. Right-click on Windows Sandbox shortcut and select “More -> Run as administrator” option. Now it’ll run without any issue.

Now you can copy any file from your host Windows 10 operating system and paste it inside Windows Sandbox window.

Now run the executable file and you are ready to test the program inside Sandbox without worrying about the main host operating system.

Once you finish testing the program, close Windows Sandbox window. It’ll show a message “Are you sure you want to close Windows Sandbox? Once Windows Sandbox is closed all of its content will be discarded and permanently lost”, click on OK button to exit from Windows Sandbox environment.

Everything modified or changed by you will be discarded and if you open Windows Sandbox again, it’ll launch a brand new Windows 10 desktop environment from scratch.

When you are working inside Windows Sandbox desktop, you can click on Maximize button to enter into Full Screen mode. Clicking on the button again from the toolbar, will exit from Full Screen mode. You can also use Ctrl+Alt+Pause/Break keyboard shortcut to toggle between Full Screen mode.

Windows Sandbox also supports configuration files. These files allow users to configure some aspects of the sandbox, such as vGPU, networking and shared folders.

Troubleshooting Information:

Sometimes you may receive following error message while trying to launch Windows Sandbox in Windows 10:

No hypervisor was found. Please enable hypervisor support.

This error message occurs if virtualization technology or capability is not enabled in BIOS settings.

To fix this problem, you’ll need to enable virtualization technology or capability option in your system’s BIOS settings. Once you enable the option, the error message will disappear.

Related: How to Enter BIOS Settings on Your Windows PC?

How to Uninstall or Disable Windows Sandbox in Windows 10?

In future, if you decide to disable and remove Windows Sandbox feature in Windows 10, you can uninstall it using the same “Turn Windows features on or off” (optionalfeatures.exe) window which we used to install and enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 10. Just uncheck Windows Sandbox option and click on OK button to remove the feature from your Windows 10 device.

Also Check:

What is PortableBaseLayer Drive or Partition in Windows 10 Disk Management?

[Windows 10 Tip] Enable Sandbox Protection in Windows Defender