On Windows 11, “Windows Sandbox” is a minimal installation of Windows that is isolated from the main installation that you can use to run untrusted applications without exposing your device.
Sandbox is available on Windows 11 Pro and Enterprise, and it uses Microsoft’s Hyper-V technology to create a lightweight virtual machine on-demand to run a separate kernel that separates the Windows Sandbox session from the host. In other words, this is a small installation of Windows 11 of just around 100MB enough to run the desktop environment to test applications. Once you finish testing the application, closing the feature will delete the Sandbox environment, which means that every time you start the feature, you will start with a fresh install of Windows 11.
In this guide, you will learn the steps to enable Windows Sandbox on Windows 11.
Enable Windows Sandbox on Windows 11
To enable “Windows Sandbox” to run untrusted apps, use these steps:
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Open Start on Windows 11.
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Search for Turn Windows features on or off and click the top result to open the experience.
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Check the Windows Sandbox option.
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Click the OK button.
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Click the Restart now button.
After you complete the steps, you can start the app from the Start menu. Once you run the app, you will be presented with a regular Windows desktop environment where you can install and run untrusted applications without affecting the current installation. When you are finished, closing the app will delete the entire virtual machine and anything you have installed on it.
Mauro Huculak is a Windows How-To Expert who started Pureinfotech in 2010 as an independent online publication. He has also been a Windows Central contributor for nearly a decade. Mauro has over 14 years of experience writing comprehensive guides and creating professional videos about Windows and software, including Android and Linux. Before becoming a technology writer, he was an IT administrator for seven years. In total, Mauro has over 20 years of combined experience in technology. Throughout his career, he achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft (MSCA), Cisco (CCNP), VMware (VCP), and CompTIA (A+ and Network+), and he has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years. You can follow him on X (Twitter), YouTube, LinkedIn and About.me. Email him at [email protected].