DIG IN THE SANDBOX
Wish you could try out software without putting your files at risk? Here’s how to do it easily and for free with Windows Sandbox
If you receive a suspicious-looking file as an email attachment – or perhaps download one from a website you don’t wholly trust – you might want to check it out in a safe, isolated environment. One option is to set up a virtual Windows installation using a hypervisor tool like VirtualBox ( virtualbox.org). However, if you’re running an up-to-date version of Windows 10, there’s an easier way: just fire up the Windows Sandbox, a new feature added in the Windows 10 May 2019 Update.
To use it, all you need is a processor that supports hardware virtualisation (a given on most modern computers) and a suitable version of Windows 10. Officially, only the Professional and Enterprise editions are supported, but you can enable it on the Home edition using a cunning hack – a web search will point you in the right direction.
Opening the Windows Sandbox is as easy as hitting the Start button and typing its name. If the Sandbox app doesn’t come up, you may need to enable the feature: to do so, open the “Turn Windows features on or off” dialog, tick Windows Sandbox and click OK. Restart Windows when you’re prompted to, and Sandbox should now be at your fingertips.
The app takes around 30 seconds to initialise because it’s busy setting up a completely fresh, virtual Windows 10 desktop, which will then appear in its own window. You can use the Edge browser within the virtual desktop to download files, or use the copy and paste functions in File Explorer to copy items from your real Windows installation into the virtual one.
Nothing that happens on the virtual desktop can affect your main Windows installation, and there’s no local network access either, so it’s a safe space for trying out potentially dodgy software. The only caveat is that items can be copied and pasted out of the sandbox, as well as into it – obviously, this is a function that you should use with extreme care.
When you’re finished using Windows Sandbox, simply hit the Close button to terminate the virtual machine. Nothing is saved between sessions, so the next time you open the app, you’ll once again be presented with a pristine virtual desktop.