Friends may not be unfamiliar with virtual machines. We can install virtual machine software on the current Windows operating system to run other operating systems, such as Linux.
But if you want a clean Windows 11 environment for simple testing, Windows 11’s built-in Sandbox will be more convenient. You don’t have to spend extra time setting up a virtual machine. Each time you open the Sandbox, it’s a clean Windows 11 system. After closing the Sandbox, all content will be deleted, without changing or affecting the main settings.
The Windows Sandbox is a virtual machine created on-demand by the Microsoft Hyper-V program using the same image as the current operating system version. The only difference is that it’s a custom lightweight (approximately 100MB) virtualized environment optimized for performance and security.
Enabling Sandbox on Windows 11 by following these steps
System Requirements:
- Windows 11 Pro edition or higher
- Processor with at least two cores
- Minimum 4GB of memory
- SSD storage is preferable
In Windows 11, virtualization needs to be enabled at the hardware level before you can open the Windows Sandbox.
Enabling UEFI Virtualization on Windows 11:
- Open Settings.
- Click on “System.”
- Click on “Recovery” on the right-hand side.
- Under the “Recovery options” section, click the “Restart now” button for the “Advanced startup” settings.
- Click the “Restart now” button once again.
- Click on “Troubleshoot.”
- Select “Advanced options.”
- Click on the “UEFI Firmware Settings” option.
- Click the “Restart” button.
- Navigate to the “Advanced,” “Configuration,” or “Security” page within the UEFI settings.
P.S.: You may need to access the hardware manufacturer’s website to determine the location of the settings.
- Access the virtualization feature within the firmware.
Note: This feature might appear as “Virtualization Technology,” “Intel Virtualization Technology,” or “SVM Mode,” but the name on the motherboard could differ.
Save the firmware settings. Restart your computer. Once these steps are completed, you can enable the Windows Sandbox feature on Windows 11.
To enable Windows Sandbox on Windows 11, follow these steps:
- Open Settings.
- Click on “Apps.”
- Click on “Optional features” on the right-hand side.
- Under the “Related settings” section, click on “More Windows features.”
- Check the option for Windows Sandbox.
- Click the “OK” button.
- Click the “Restart now” button.
To use Windows Sandbox, particularly for software installation, follow these steps:
- Open “Start.”
- Search for “Windows Sandbox,” right-click the top result, and choose “Run as administrator.”
- Open File Explorer on your computer.
- Select the executable file and click the “Copy” button in the command bar.
- In the Windows Sandbox desktop, right-click the desktop.
- Select the “Paste” option to transfer the installation program.
- Double-click on the setup file (.exe, .msi, or any other format) to initiate the installation.
Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation. After these steps, you can use the Sandbox to test applications or visit potentially unsafe websites without impacting your main system.
You can enter and exit the full-screen experience on Windows Sandbox using the keyboard shortcuts “Ctrl + Alt + Break” or “Pause”.
Use “Shift + Alt + PrintScreen” to enable high contrast mode.
Once testing is complete, close the Windows Sandbox. The system will delete any content created or configured, including the virtual machine instance.
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