Part application, part virtualisation, the Windows Sandbox enables a user to generate, a base Windows 10 machine, isolated from its parent physical/virtual machine.
The machine can then be used safely to test applications temporarily setup apps etc, and when done with can be raked clear (physically destroyed) all without impeding the setup of the originating machine.
Is a sort of half way house between Windows 7 Virtual machine, and a hyper V machine quickly created, but not a permanent feature. If you want something that you can use time and time again then Hyper V manager and a VM configuration is more to your needs than this solution.
Prerequisites
Sandbox will require you to have Windows 10 Pro/Enterprise version to use the feature, and will require hardware virtualisation already being configured (Hyper V).
Need minimum of about 4GB of RAM (as always recommend 8GB) with a min of 1GB disk space available ideally SSD for speed but HDD will work fine.
Checking Virtualisation is enabled
Run Task Manager and click the Performance tab you should see Virtualisation: Enabled under the CPU Graph(s)
Nested Virtualisation
If you wish to run Sandbox within an existing Virtual Machine (ensure its 64bit) then there is a further step you will need to take of turning on nested virtualization. Launch PowerShell in the VM and then enter the following command:
Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true
With nested virtualisation switched on (if required) you are good to go and continue to enable/install the application.
Enabling Sandbox
The feature like so many Windows features is not turned on automatically you will have to enable the feature so from the search enter Windows features (you could use Control Panel, but as that changing nearly every release!) and click on the link that appears like so:-
And ensure that you tick the check box for Windows Sandbox
Click OK and let the system install an update the application to your setup
Running Sandbox
Once installed you need to Search for the application Windows Sandbox and click on it (some folks advise right clicking and running as administrator. I didn’t need to do that as my account is admin of the machine)
After a short while a screen will appear showing a very basic Windows 10 installation, with no desktop wallpaper or previously installed icons, as said this created a fresh Windows 10 machine with its own IP address etc.
with its own IP address etc.
You will be able to drag and drop installers applications etc onto the sandbox and safely install and test.
Once you have done with the machine if you click the close app button. Or, select the Shut Down option from the start menu of the sandbox machine you will see the following message :-
Reminding you that once closed all your work, installations etc that have been done in the sandbox, are going to be destroyed permanently.
That’s all there really is to it
theramblingsofbaz 