Windows Sandbox

Spec sheet

Purpose

Windows Sandbox provides a lightweight isolated desktop for testing, debugging, exploring unknown files, and experimenting with tools.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Free plan

NoRead 21 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Headquarters

Redmond, Washington, United StatesRead 28 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Founded

1975Read 28 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Configuration

Configuration files can control networking, GPU virtualization, mapped folders, startup commands, audio and video input, clipboard and printer redirection, and memory.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Disposable sessions

Closing the sandbox deletes its software, files, and state, and each launch starts a fresh instance.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

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.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Isolation

It uses hardware-based virtualization and the Microsoft hypervisor to run a separate kernel isolated from the host.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Network security

Networking is enabled by default and can expose untrusted applications to the internal network; it can be disabled in a configuration file.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

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.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Notable limits

Only one sandbox instance can run at a time, and the sandbox uses the same operating-system build as its host.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Resource efficiency

It reuses many host read-only operating-system files and adjusts memory usage according to demand compared with a full virtual machine.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Support and feedback

Users can report issues or suggest features through Feedback Hub or the Windows Sandbox GitHub repository.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Supported editions

Windows Sandbox is included with Windows Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions and is not supported on Windows Home.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Use cases

Microsoft describes using it to test software, browse unfamiliar websites, open untrusted files, and maintain development environments.Read 29 Sep 2026 · learn.microsoft.com

Plans and prices

Every Windows Sandbox plan and price →

Where Specifiction places it

• Sandbox Software#17 of 257.4
• Firewall Software#66 of 807.4