In this guide I explain what it is, what it is for and how to take advantage of Windows Sandbox, a very useful system function.In this guide I’m going to explain what it is, what it’s for, and what requirements you need to meet in order to use Windows Sandbox on your PC. If you want to know everything about this optional feature that Microsoft has reserved for a handful of users, stay with me. Here I’ll provide you with all the information you need. Don’t miss out!

Windows Sandbox: What it is and what it’s for

Windows Sandbox is a testing environment built into Windows that allows you to run any application without any consequences to your computer. In fact, in Spanish, Microsoft calls it Windows Isolated Space , a term that helps to understand what its purpose is. Thanks to this tool, users can do as many tests as they want without putting the integrity of the main system at risk.

The truth is that Windows Sandbox is nothing more than a virtual machine that runs on your computer. In case you don’t know, this concept is used for those hardware emulation processes using software that allow you to run a complete operating system inside a real machine. Microsoft, with its Windows Isolated Space, does something similar: it runs an instance of Windows separate from the system, virtualizing a computer inside your PC . This virtual computer has no direct connection to the host system, that is, the one that directly runs the real computer.

tool than what you can get with VirtualBox . In fact, it is a lightweight desktop environment that runs as if it were another application and that in a few seconds allows you to access a secure space within your computer’s operating system.

Additionally, Windows Sandbox introduces the following features:

• It’s temporary . Anything you do in this environment will disappear once you close it. However, it does support rebooting within the sandbox itself so you can do installations that require power cycling the computer .
• It is completely safe . Thanks to hardware virtualization, it is able to run an independent kernel. This way, any program you install will never be able to reach the main kernel.
• It’s like a clean install of Windows . Doing a clean install of Windows has many benefits. Well, the sandbox instance is equivalent to having a freshly installed copy of the system.

Requirements for Windows Sandbox

Most modern computers will be able to run Windows Sandbox. I’ve already mentioned that it is a lightweight environment and not a full virtual machine, even though it does use this technology.

The official minimum requirements are these:

• ARM64 architecture (for Windows 11, version 22H2 and later) or AMD64
• Virtualization features enabled in BIOS
• At least 4GB RAM (8GB recommended)
• At least 1GB of hard disk space (SSD recommended)
• At least two CPU cores (four cores with hyper-threading recommended)

The most important limitation, however, is related to the Windows edition : you can only have the isolated space in the Pro versions . That is, you need either Windows 10 Pro or Windows 11 Pro. In case this tool is indispensable for you, my advice is to buy a cheap Windows 11 Pro license. For a few euros, you will be able to upgrade from the Home edition to the Pro edition.

How to enable and use Windows Sandbox

Even if you meet all the requirements and have Windows 11 Pro (or Windows 10 Pro), you will need to enable Sandboxing for it to appear on your computer.

You just have to follow these steps:

1. Go to Windows Settings and go to System > Optional Features .
2. Then, click on More Windows features , a button you’ll see at the bottom of the list.
3. In the pop-up window, check the Windows Sandbox option .
4. Restart your computer.

Once you’re done, just locate Windows Sandbox using the system search tool. It appears as just another application.

Wait for the sandbox to load. Then, you can start working with it. The first thing you should know is that it is possible to resize the window , so you can adjust it to your viewing needs. The screen resolution is automatically adjusted.

On the other hand, it’s also important to know that you’ll have to change some settings because they don’t sync with your computer. For example, you might have problems with your mouse if it’s set to left-handed. Aside from these minor details, Windows Sandbox is ready to work right out of the box.

You can use Edge to download any executable . For example, I downloaded the installer for Opera, a browser I want to try out but don’t want to install permanently on my PC.

However, it is also possible to copy and paste between Windows and the sandbox. This way you can send any item you have on your PC and test it in the Sandbox. Obviously, you can do it the other way around, i.e. copy and paste from the sandbox to Windows .

The latter is important if you want to save the files you’ve generated. Imagine you’ve taken screenshots inside Windows Sandbox . Thanks to the copy and paste feature, you make sure to keep them safe. If you click on the three dots in the window’s title bar, you’ll see the related options.

Finally, when you close the Windows sandbox, you will see a message appear. This is a warning asking you to confirm the closure. Please note that once Sandbox is stopped, all generated content and installed programs will disappear.