Hello, today I'm introducing a new feature, the sandbox!
Windows Sandbox is a feature of Windows 10 that allows you to run applications in an isolated, lightweight, and secure environment. If you're like most Windows users, you might have installed a number of applications on your computer over the years. Some of these applications may be essential for your work or personal life, while others might be entertainment programs or maintenance utilities.
But what if you want to try out a new application without having to set it up on your main computer? Or if you want to run a risky application without the danger of damaging it? This is where Windows Sandbox comes into play.
Windows Sandbox provides a lightweight desktop environment to safely run applications in isolation. Software installed inside the Windows Sandbox environment remains "sandboxed" and operates separately from the host computer. This means that software and applications installed on the host are not directly available in the sandbox. If you need specific applications available in the Windows Sandbox environment, they must be explicitly installed there.
A sandbox is temporary. When closed, all software and files, as well as the state, are deleted. You get a fresh instance of the sandbox each time you open the application. Note, however, that from Windows 11 build 22509, your data is retained through a restart initiated from the virtualized environment, which is useful for installing applications that require restarting the operating system.
Windows Sandbox has the following properties:
Part of Windows: everything required for this feature is included in Windows 10/11 Professional and Enterprise. There's no need to download a virtual hard disk.
Pristine: Each time Windows Sandbox runs, it's as clean as a brand-new installation of Windows.
Disposable: nothing persists on the device. Everything is discarded when the user closes the application.
Secure: uses hardware virtualization for kernel isolation. It relies on the Microsoft hypervisor to run a separate kernel that isolates Windows Sandbox from the host.
Efficient: Uses integrated kernel scheduler, smart memory management, and virtual GPU.
Windows Sandbox is a handy tool for Windows users who want to try new applications without compromising the security of their main computer. If you are interested in using Windows Sandbox, make sure you have a version of Windows 10/11 Professional or Enterprise and follow your computer's instructions to enable this feature. You can also refer to Microsoft's documentation for more details on using Windows Sandbox.
Installation
To install and use Windows Sandbox on your computer, you must have a version of Windows 10 Professional or Enterprise, build version 18305 or Windows 11. You also need to enable virtualization on your computer.
If you are using a physical machine, you will need to enable virtualization features in the BIOS.
If you are using a virtual machine, you can use the PowerShell command "Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true" to enable nested virtualization.
Then, you can use the Windows Optional Features tool to enable Windows Sandbox and restart your computer if necessary.
You can also use the PowerShell command "Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName «Containers-DisposableClientVM» -All -Online" to enable Windows Sandbox.
Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName «Containers-DisposableClientVM» -All -OnlineUsage
Once Windows Sandbox is installed, you can find and run it from the Start menu. To use Windows Sandbox, copy an executable file (and any other files necessary to run the application) from your host computer and paste them into the Windows Sandbox window. Run the executable file or installer in the sandbox, then close the sandbox when you're done. Note that Windows Sandbox does not use the mouse settings of the host computer, so if you use a right-handed mouse on your host computer, you will need to apply these settings manually in Windows Sandbox.
That's it, I hope you find this useful! Enjoy!