What is Windows Sandbox?

Windows Sandbox is essentially a lightweight virtual machine that runs an isolated copy of Windows within your existing system. The sandbox operates in a temporary environment, meaning anything you do inside it—whether it’s installing software, browsing websites or running malware—gets discarded once the sandbox is closed.

This makes it an excellent tool for testing potentially dangerous files or software in a safe and controlled manner. Because the sandbox uses a separate environment, it doesn’t affect your main operating system. You can also be assured that files or apps you run within the sandbox will not make changes to your computer’s registry or settings.

Requirements for Using Windows Sandbox

Before enabling Windows Sandbox, it is important to ensure that your system meets the following requirements:

1. Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise Edition: Windows Sandbox is only available for users running Windows 10 or 11 Pro or Enterprise editions. It is not available in Home editions. 
2. Virtualization Support: Your system must support hardware virtualization (Intel VT-x or AMD-V). Most modern processors have this feature, but you may need to enable it in your system’s BIOS/UEFI settings. 
3. Hyper-V Feature: Windows Sandbox relies on Hyper-V, a Microsoft technology for running virtual machines. Therefore, you must have Hyper-V installed and enabled. 
4. Sufficient RAM and CPU: A minimum of 4GB of RAM and a 64-bit processor with at least two CPU cores are required for Windows Sandbox to run smoothly.

How to Enable Windows Sandbox?

Now that we understand the prerequisites, let’s walk through how to enable Windows Sandbox on your computer.

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Step 1: Check Your Windows Version

First, verify that you are running a compatible version of Windows. If you are on Windows 10 Home or Windows 11 Home, you will need to upgrade to Pro or Enterprise.

To check your version, follow these steps:

1. Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box.
2. Type winver and press Enter.
3. The “About Windows” window will pop up, showing your current version.

If you are running a supported version of Windows (Pro or Enterprise), you can proceed with the next steps.

Step 2: Enable Virtualization in BIOS/UEFI

Windows Sandbox requires hardware virtualization, so it needs to be enabled in your system’s BIOS or UEFI firmware settings.

To do this:

1. Restart your computer and press the key (usually F2, F10, F12 or Delete) to enter the BIOS/UEFI settings. The exact key will depend on your motherboard or laptop brand. 
2. Look for a setting related to Intel VT-x, AMD-V, or Virtualization Technology (the wording can vary). 
3. Enable the virtualization option if it is disabled. 
4. Save the changes and exit the BIOS/UEFI settings. Your computer will reboot.

Step 3: Install Hyper-V (if not already enabled)

Next, you need to ensure that Hyper-V is installed and activated on your system as Windows Sandbox relies on it.

Here is how to enable it:

1. Press Win + X and select “Apps and Features”. 
2. Scroll down and click “Optional Features”. 
3. Under the “Related settings” section, click on “More Windows features”. 
4. A window will open showing a list of Windows features. Scroll down and find “Hyper-V”. 
5. Check the box next to “Hyper-V” to enable it. This will also automatically enable related features like Hyper-V Management Tools and Hyper-V Platform. 
6. Click OK and restart your computer if prompted.

Alternatively, you can enable Hyper-V via PowerShell:

1. Open PowerShell as an administrator by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting “Windows PowerShell (Admin)”.

Type the following command:

dism.exe /Online /Enable-Feature:Microsoft-Hyper-V-All /All /LimitAccess /Restart

1. The system will restart and Hyper-V will be enabled.

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Step 4: Enable Windows Sandbox

Once you have enabled Hyper-V, you can now proceed to enable the Windows Sandbox feature itself:

1. Press Win + X and select “Apps and Features”. 
2. In the left sidebar, click on “Optional Features”. 
3. Scroll down and click on “More Windows Features”. 
4. Look for “Windows Sandbox” in the list of features. 
5. Check the box next to Windows Sandbox and click OK. 
6. Windows will apply the changes and you will be prompted to restart your computer.

Alternatively, you can enable Windows Sandbox via PowerShell by running the following command:

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName “Containers-DisposableClientVM” -All -LimitAccess -Restart

Once the computer restarts, Windows Sandbox will be enabled.

Step 5: Launch Windows Sandbox

Now that Windows Sandbox is enabled, you can launch it and begin using it:

1. Press Win and type “Windows Sandbox” in the search bar. 
2. Select Windows Sandbox from the search results to open it. 
3. Once it opens, you will see a clean desktop environment. You can now drag and drop files into the sandbox or use the browser to test out apps or files safely.

Step 6: Closing and Deleting the Sandbox

When you are done with the sandbox, simply close it as you would any other application. Any files, applications or changes made inside the sandbox will be discarded upon closing.The next time you launch Windows Sandbox, it will be in its default, clean state.

Conclusion

Windows Sandbox is a highly effective feature for safely testing files, programs or websites in an isolated environment. It is easy to enable and does not require a lot of resources, making it an ideal choice for anyone looking to run potentially unsafe content without risking harm to their primary operating system. Just make sure your system meets the necessary requirements and follow the steps to enable it and you will be ready to explore this powerful tool in no time.

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