7 ways to fix 'Windows Sandbox Failed to Start' error

In most cases, the error message says

' Error 0x80070015: Windows Sandbox failed to start—the device is not ready '.

In other cases, the error code could be 0x80070057, 0x800706d9, 0x80070002, 0x80070569, 0x80072746 or 0xc0370106.

Regardless of which Sandbox error code you received, the following article will show you the top tips that can help troubleshoot Windows Sandbox not starting.

1. Disable and re-enable the Windows Sandbox tool

Restarting Windows Sandbox might be the best solution to this problem. So here's how you can turn it off and back on again:

Step 1: Press Win + R to access the Run command dialog box.

Step 2: Type optionalfeatures and press Enter to open the Windows Features program.

Step 3: Next, scroll down and uncheck the Windows Sandbox option. From there, click OK.

Step 4: Select Restart now in the pop-up window. This will restart your device and apply the current changes.

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When the device boots, open the Windows Features program following the previous steps. Next, check the Windows Sandbox option and then select Restart now in the pop-up window.

2. Run Windows services required by Sandbox

Sandbox errors often appear when some Windows services are disabled. So let's see how you can enable some Windows service to solve this problem:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.

Step 2: Type services.msc and press Enter to open the Services window.

Step 3: Find Hyper-V Remote Desktop Virtualization Service, right-click it, then select Properties.

Step 4: Next, navigate to the General tab. From there, click the Startup type drop-down menu and select Automatic.

Step 5: Click the Start button, click Apply, and then click OK to save these changes.

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Finally, close the Services program and restart the PC to save these changes.

To avoid the same problem in the future, you will have to configure some additional settings in the Services window. Let's see the steps you need to follow:

Step 1: Open the Services window following the previous steps.

Step 2: Right-click on Hyper-V Remote Desktop Virtualization Service and select Properties.

Step 3: Navigate to the Recovery tab.

Step 4: Next, click the First failure drop-down menu and select Restart the Service. This will help restart this service automatically in case it encounters any problems.

Step 5: Click on Second failure option and select Restart the Service for this option. Finally, click Apply and then OK.

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In case the Sandbox issue persists, try applying the same setting to the following other services:

1. Hyper-V Host Service
2. Hyper-V Time Synchronization Service
3. Virtual Disk

3. Restart Hyper-V and other programs on the "Windows Features" screen

Restarting a few programs on the "Windows Features" screen may help. However, this method will only work if you restart the features that the Sandbox engine depends on.

In this case, we will restart Hyper-V, Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform features:

Step 1: Press Win + R to access the Run command dialog box.

Step 2: Type optionalfeatures and press Enter to open the Windows Features program .

Step 3: Scroll down and expand the Hyper-V option. Next, uncheck the Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform options.

Step 4: Click OK, close the Windows Features program, then restart your device to save these changes.

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Finally, apply the same changes to the Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform.

4. Use built-in debugging tools

Built-in troubleshooting tools can help you solve this problem. However, this will depend on the nature of the problem.

If the Sandbox error is caused by hardware related problems, you can fix it with the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter. But if the problem is due to a system maintenance issue, then you can try the System Maintenance troubleshooter.

In case you're dealing with a hardware problem, here's how the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter can help:

Step 1: Click the Start menu icon and select PC Settings. Next, select Update & Security, and then click the Troubleshoot option.

Step 2: Select the Hardware and Devices troubleshooter on the right pane. From there, click Run the troubleshooter.

Step 3: Follow the steps on the screen to complete the process. When you're done, restart your PC to save these changes.

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On the other hand, if you're dealing with system maintenance issues, here's how the System Maintenance troubleshooter can help:

Step 1: Press Win + R to open the Run command dialog box.

Step 2: Type msdt.exe -id MaintenanceDiagnostic in the search box and press Enter to run the System Maintenance troubleshooter.

Step 3: Click the Advanced option on the next screen. From there, check the Apply repairs automatically box.

Step 4: Finally, click Next and follow the on-screen steps to complete the process.

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5. Repair corrupted or missing system files

Perhaps there are some corrupt system files that are interfering with the functionality of the Sandbox.

In this case, you can use the SFC and DISM tools. These are some amazing features that help to repair corrupted or missing system files.

6. Restore Windows to its previous state

Is this the first time you've had problems using the Sandbox tool? If that's the case then this could be caused by some recent changes to your device.

You may have installed a faulty program that is interfering with the Windows Sandbox. Or, perhaps you have accidentally configured some settings and this is affecting the Sandbox tool .

In such cases, you can solve the problem by restoring the PC to its previous state.

7. Device Update

If that doesn't fix the error, you can try updating your device. This can help with this and any other system problems.

Windows Sandbo x is a reliable tool that provides you with a great desktop environment. If this tool fails to start, you can easily fix it using any of the methods mentioned in the article.

Once the Sandbox is up and running, make sure to set it up correctly so the program doesn't have any problems in the future.

Marvin Fry

Update 29 July 2022