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On the recordRead 29 Sep 202615 facts
Windows Sandbox
Redmond, Washington, United States
Plans and prices
Windows Sandbox
Free
Included with supported Windows editions · Windows Home not supported
Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com
On the record
- Configuration
- Configuration files can control networking, GPU virtualization, mapped folders, startup commands, audio and video input, clipboard and printer redirection, and memory.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Disposable sessions
- Closing the sandbox deletes its software, files, and state, and each launch starts a fresh instance.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Hardware requirements
- Requirements include AMD64 or supported Arm64 hardware, BIOS virtualization, at least 4 GB RAM, 1 GB free disk space, and two CPU cores.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Isolation
- It uses hardware-based virtualization and the Microsoft hypervisor to run a separate kernel isolated from the host.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Network security
- Networking is enabled by default and can expose untrusted applications to the internal network; it can be disabled in a configuration file.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Newer app version
- On Windows 11 version 24H2 with KB10D or later, the newer version is available through Microsoft Store and adds runtime controls and preview command-line support.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Notable limits
- Only one sandbox instance can run at a time, and the sandbox uses the same operating-system build as its host.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Purpose
- Windows Sandbox provides a lightweight isolated desktop for testing, debugging, exploring unknown files, and experimenting with tools.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Resource efficiency
- It reuses many host read-only operating-system files and adjusts memory usage according to demand compared with a full virtual machine.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Support and feedback
- Users can report issues or suggest features through Feedback Hub or the Windows Sandbox GitHub repository.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Supported editions
- Windows Sandbox is included with Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions and is not supported on Windows Home.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
- Use cases
- Microsoft describes using it to test software, browse unfamiliar websites, open untrusted files, and maintain development environments.learn.microsoft.com · read 29 Sep 2026
