Windows Sandbox: Complete Guide

This guide provides a clear overview of windows sandbox, including 1. Check and Enable Virtualization Technology in BIOS, 2. Enable Virtual Machine Platform Features. Use it to understand the topic, compare the available options, and make a more informed decision.

The error message says Windows Sandbox cannot detect the Hypervisor. This can happen for a variety of reasons, including incorrectly configured virtual machine-related features in Windows Features.

Follow the steps in this guide to fix this error on your Windows PC.

1. Check and Enable Virtualization Technology in BIOS

All virtualization-based tools need hardware virtualization support in the BIOS to work. If you have not configured your hardware virtualization, check that it is enabled in Task Manager. If not, you can manually enable it in the BIOS to support virtualization tools.

To check the virtualization status:

1. Right-click Start and open Task Manager.

2. In the Task Manager , open the Performance tab.

3. Next, make sure that the CPU tab is selected.

4. Locate the Virtualization section. If the feature is already enabled, move on to the next method.

5. If disabled, follow the steps below to enable hardware virtualization on your computer.

Now, the article will introduce how to enable Hardware Virtualization in BISO on HP computers. Instructions for enabling hardware virtualization may vary depending on the computer manufacturer. You can find specific instructions on your computer manufacturer's website or see how to enter the BIOS in Windows 10/11.

1. Turn off the PC.

2. Press the Power button then start pressing the Esc key to see the Start menu.

3. Press F10 to enter BIOS Setup.

4. In the BIOS Setup Utility , use the right-left arrow keys to locate and open the Configuration tab.

5. Next, use the down arrow keys to select Virtualization Technology or anything with a similar term.

6. With the option highlighted, press Enter and select Enabled from the options. Now, the Virtualization Technology status will show as Enabled.

7. Press F10 again to save the changes and exit the BIOS.

Wait for your computer to restart. Open the Task Manager to see the Virtualization status in the CPU tab. If it says "Enabled" , try opening Windows Sandbox to see if it works without errors.

2. Enable Virtual Machine Platform Features

Windows Sandbox is available as an optional feature that you can install from the Windows Features dialog, and TipsMake.com showed how to do this in a guide on how to enable and set up Windows Sandbox in Windows 11 Similarly, you may need to enable some additional optional features required to run the virtualization tool successfully.

The two optional features you need to enable are Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform . These tools enable platform support for virtual machines and provide the APIs needed to run virtualization software on Windows.

To enable virtualization features:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.

2. Enter appwiz.cpl and click OK to open Control Panel.

3. In the left pane, click Turn Windows features on or off .

4. In the Windows Features dialog, scroll down and find Virtual Machine Platform and Windows Hypervisor Platform .

5. Select both options and press OK.

6. Windows will start installing the necessary files. So wait for the process to complete. Once done, click Restart Now to reboot your system and apply the changes.

3. Set Hypervisor to Run at System Startup

Windows Sandbox may not work if the Hypervisor is not running during system startup. To work around this problem, you can modify the Boot Configuration Data (BCD) file to automatically run the Hypervisor at system startup.

To set the Hypervisor to launch at system startup:

1. Press the Win key and type cmd. Then right click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator .

2. In the Command Prompt window, type the following command and press Enter :

BCDEDIT /Set {current} hypervisorlaunchtype auto

3. Wait for the success message and restart the PC.

4. After rebooting, open Command Prompt with admin rights and run the following command:

bcdedit

5. Next, scroll down to Hypervisorlaunchtype and make sure it is set to Auto.

6. Try to launch Windows Sandbox and check if the No Hypervisor was found error is fixed.

Note that with the Hypervisor set to launch at startup, virtual machines running on third-party virtualization tools such as VMWare may not function correctly.

To disable Hypervisor at startup, enter the following command into Command Prompt with admin rights:

bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype off

Once done, restart your computer to apply the changes.

Conclusion

Understanding Windows Sandbox makes it easier to compare options, avoid common mistakes, and apply the information in this guide more effectively. Review the relevant requirements before making changes or choosing a solution.