The guide works just as well on Windows 10, but I did the testing on my own machine, which uses Win 11.Īfter completing installation you can search for the Windows Sandbox app in the Start menu. Now let’s see how to use the Windows 11 Sandbox as a virtual machine. How to Use Sandbox to Test Untrusted Apps on Windows

Minimum 2 CPU cores (4 cores with hyperthreading recommended)Ī reboot will be required for the installation to complete, so save your work and go ahead.

AMD64 or ARM64 compatible CPUs (this covers almost everything).

Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, Education, Windows 11 Pro.

You can’t run Windows Sandbox on any machine, so a few requirements need to be met firsthand. It’s an Optional feature that you must activate separately.ĭon’t worry: we have a guide for adding and removing optional features in Windows. The Windows Sandbox environment is included in Windows 10/11 Pro, but it’s not active by default.

It all sounds a bit complicated, I know, but the TLDR is that Windows Sandbox is a lightweight, fast and secure type of isolated virtual machine for testing programs you don’t trust or apps you don’t want to have access to your local machine hardware and its stored data.

That’s because Windows Sandbox uses the virtualization options available in the Pro and Enterprise Editions to create a completely isolated sandbox from the kernel and the physical machine hardware. Windows Sandbox is not available in the Home Edition of Windows, but it looks like there are ways to install it there if really needed. If you need them you have to install them again in the sandboxed environment. So, if you’re wondering “Is Windows Sandbox safe?” the answer is yes, due to its simplicity and, of course, isolation from your main Windows install.Īpps installed on your Windows machine are not available in Windows Sandbox.

Windows 10 home sandbox