What is Windows Sandbox? How to use Windows Sandbox to run the application

With the Windows 10 May 2019 update, Microsoft introduced a new feature called Windows Sandbox. This article TipsMake.com will discuss what Windows Sandbox really is and how to enable it.

What is Windows Sandbox?

Windows Sandbox is a temporary, secure, and isolated virtual environment where you can test new software, test untrusted software, and experiment with other settings and configurations. Microsoft did this by creating a separate kernel in its hypervisor. When you open the Sandbox, you will see that Windows has created a brand new operating system that re-emulates your system.

Since the guest kernel is separate from the host kernel, the sandbox is completely isolated from the actual operating system. No matter what you do in the Sandbox, all changes are canceled when you close the application. When you open it again, it's a blank page again.

The best thing about Windows Sandbox is that it's light (around 100 MB) and fast.

Of course, when you compare Windows Sandbox to a full Windows installation in Virtual Box or VMware, it lacks some useful features like drag-and-drop support, screen capture, and more. The tradition is very slow, consuming a lot of system resources. And you need quite a few steps to install and configure properly.

So if you are looking for a simple, fast, secure, and disposable sandbox environment to test software or install, Windows Sandbox is a pretty good choice.

Request

To install and use Windows Sandbox, your system needs to meet a number of requirements.

1. Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise edition is recommended first with May 2019 (v1903) update.
2. Your system should be 64-bit and support hardware virtualization.
3. Your system should have at least 4 GB RAM.
4. Your processor must have at least two cores. Microsoft recommends four cores with hyperthreading for smooth performance.

After you meet all these requirements, follow the steps below to install Windows Sandbox.

Install Windows Sandbox

Installing Windows Sandbox is pretty straightforward.

1. First, enter 'Turn Windows Features On or Off' and the Start search box and open the application. This is where you can enable various extras like Windows Sandbox and Hyper-V.

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2. In the Windows Features window, scroll down and find the ' Windows Sandbox ' option, check the box next to it, then click OK .

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3. After you hit OK , Windows will start downloading the file and applying the changes.

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4. Click Restart now to restart the computer, remember to save your unfinished work before clicking this button.

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5. After restarting, enter Windows Sandbox in the search box and open it.

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6. When the Sandbox launches, it looks like your regular Windows interface. From here you can perform your tests such as installing, running software as well as some other Windows operations.

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7. When you are finished using the Sandbox, just click on the X icon to turn it off. The sandbox will display a message stating that any action you have just performed will be canceled. Click OK to continue.

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If you want to delete or disable the Sandbox, all you need to do is go back to step two and uncheck the Windows Sandbox box.

Conclusion

Windows Sandbox is a neat little feature that is very useful for testing new software, settings, and configurations. Even if you don't use the Windows Sandbox feature often, I recommend enabling it, as it can be a useful tool in the short term. Sure, it lacks some of the features you get when using a regular virtual machine like VMware or VirtualBox, but it makes up for that with ease of use and fast performance.

Good luck.

David Pac

Update 16 September 2020