What Is Windows Sandbox?

Windows Sandbox is a built-in feature available on Windows 10 and 11 Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. It creates a lightweight, isolated virtual desktop environment — essentially a temporary, clean copy of Windows — that you can use to run untrusted software without any risk to your main system.

When you close the Sandbox window, everything inside it is permanently deleted. The next time you open it, you get a fresh, clean environment again. Think of it as a safe testing room for your PC.

Why Would You Use Windows Sandbox?

  • Testing suspicious software: Downloaded something from an unfamiliar source? Run it in Sandbox first to see what it does.
  • Browsing risky websites: Open Sandbox, launch a browser, and visit sketchy URLs without worrying about malware reaching your main system.
  • Testing installers: Check what a setup wizard installs before committing it to your real PC.
  • Development & experiments: Try out configurations, scripts, or registry tweaks in a disposable environment.

System Requirements

Before enabling Sandbox, make sure your system meets these requirements:

  • Windows 10 or 11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education (not available on Home edition)
  • At least 4 GB RAM (8 GB recommended)
  • At least 1 GB free disk space (SSD recommended)
  • A CPU with at least 2 cores and hardware virtualisation enabled (Intel VT-x or AMD-V)

How to Enable Windows Sandbox

Sandbox is not enabled by default. Here's how to turn it on:

  1. Press Win + R, type optionalfeatures, and press Enter.
  2. In the Windows Features dialog, scroll down to find Windows Sandbox.
  3. Check the box next to it and click OK.
  4. Windows will install the feature and ask you to restart your PC.

Alternatively, you can enable it via PowerShell (as Administrator):

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Containers-DisposableClientVM" -All

How to Open and Use Windows Sandbox

  1. After enabling and restarting, search for "Windows Sandbox" in the Start menu.
  2. Click to launch it — a new desktop window will appear within a few seconds.
  3. You can copy files from your host PC and paste them inside the Sandbox window.
  4. Install and run any software as you normally would inside this isolated environment.
  5. When done, simply close the Sandbox window — everything is wiped.

Advanced: Sandbox Configuration Files

Windows Sandbox supports .wsb configuration files that let you customise the environment. You can:

  • Map specific folders from your host PC into the Sandbox (read-only or writable)
  • Enable or disable networking inside the Sandbox
  • Run startup scripts automatically when Sandbox launches
  • Control GPU virtualisation

A basic .wsb file looks like this:

<Configuration>
  <Networking>Disable</Networking>
  <MappedFolders>
    <MappedFolder>
      <HostFolder>C:\TestFiles</HostFolder>
      <ReadOnly>true</ReadOnly>
    </MappedFolder>
  </MappedFolders>
</Configuration>

Save this as my-sandbox.wsb and double-click it to launch a customised Sandbox session.

Limitations to Keep in Mind

  • Not available on Windows Home editions
  • Cannot persist data between sessions by default
  • Performance is limited by virtualisation overhead
  • Not a substitute for a full virtual machine for complex long-term testing

Windows Sandbox strikes an excellent balance between convenience and security. For anyone who regularly tests software or visits unfamiliar corners of the web, it's one of the most underused gems built right into Windows.