How to enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 11

June 2024 · 4 minute read
A quick guide on how to enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 11

XINSTALL BY CLICKING THE DOWNLOAD FILE

Fix Windows 11 OS errors with Restoro PC Repair Tool:This software repairs common computer errors by replacing the problematic system files with the initial working versions. It also keeps you away from critical file loss, hardware failure, and repairs damages made by malware and viruses. Fix PC issues and remove viruses now in 3 easy steps:
  • Download Restoro PC Repair Tool that comes with Patented Technologies (patent available here).
  • Click Start Scan to find Windows 11 issues that could be causing PC problems.
  • Click Repair All to fix issues affecting your computer's security and performance
  • If you wonder how to enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 11, this guide will surely help you with some quick solutions.

    Before anything else, you should know that it was first introduced on Windows 10, Microsoft including it in the newest OS too.

    Note that Windows Sandbox can help you run untrusted apps into a lightweight isolated environment. But let’s see how does it actually work.

    How does a Sandbox environment work?

    The whole process of Windows Sandbox is running independently from your prime installation, as you can see in the picture below:

    In technical terms, it is a virtual machine designed on-demand, by using Microsoft’s hypervisor and running the same operating system screen as the one on your first machine. 

    It is around 100MB in size which can be used to install and run untrusted classic apps, in an isolated mode from the main installation.

    As additional information, Microsoft Windows Sandbox is extremely efficient as it uses an integrated kernel scheduler, smart memory management, and virtual graphics.

    Moreover, every Sandbox data gets deleted once you close the app. What does it mean? Every time you run the Windows Sandbox feature, you’ll start with a clean install of Windows 11.

    You should also know that Windows Sandbox doesn’t work in the Home editions of Windows 11, but it is included in the Pro and Enterprise versions.

    To simply run apps in Sandbox, you’ll have to press the Windows key, then type Sandbox, and select it.

    After that, you should copy the app you want to run on the host machine, then switch to the Windows Sandbox window and paste the file.

    To enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 11, make sure you read this article completely to discover which option suits you the most.

    How can I quickly enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 11?

    1. Use the Windows optional features

  • Press the Windows + R keys.
  • In the Run dialog box, type optionalfeatures, then click on OK.
  • Checkmark the Windows Sandbox option, then click on OK.
  •  Restart your computer.
  • 2. Try PowerShell

  • Click on the Search button, type Power Shell, then select Run as administrator.
  • In the pop-up window, type the following command, then press Enter: Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Containers-DisposableClientVM" -All
  • Restart your PC.
  • 3. Use Command Prompt

  • Hit the Windows key, then type Command Prompt, and select Run as administrator.
  • Type the following command, then press Enter: dism /online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:"Containers-DisposableClientVM" -All
  • Restart your PC.
  • Will using a Sandbox environment affect my device?

    As mentioned before, any software installed in your Windows Sandbox will stay only in this environment. Thus, it cannot affect your host service.

    Also, once you close your Windows Sandbox, all the software with all the related files is permanently deleted.

    For those ones who usually install apps and programs from unsafety sources, then a Sandbox environment might be the perfect solution to fully protect your PC and software components.

    In addition, note that Sandboxing can be used as an efficient tool to detect malware attacks and block them before they enter a network.

    You can take a look at a full Microsoft report about the Windows Sandbox configuration on the previous OS version, so you’ll make an idea of how should it looks like on Windows 11.

    This article showed you the best options that will allow you to quickly enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 11. Any other additional questions or thoughts? Always feel free to comment in the section listed below.

    ncG1vNJzZmivmaOxsMPSq5ypp6Kpe6S7zGiuoqaUpMS0edKapZ2an616uLXNnaawq11mfnA%3D