How to Fix Windows Sandbox Not Working in Windows 11 (2024)

Windows Sandbox is a temporary virtual machine offering a lightweight desktop environment to install and run apps in isolation. However, this feature is not available on the Home edition of the venerable OS.

Even if you have a compatible edition of the OS, say Windows 11 Pro, Windows Sandbox can still malfunction and stop working. If so, here are a few ways to troubleshoot and fix when the Windows Sandbox stops working on your Windows 11 computer.

1. Remember—Windows Sandbox Is Not Available on Windows 11 Home

Like many of the advanced Windows features, Windows Sandbox is not available on the Home edition of the operating system. Even if you install the necessary files to run Windows Sandbox on Windows 11 Home, you’ll encounter the "Windows Sandbox failed to initialize" error.

If you don’t know if you're using Windows Home or not, you can find out in the About section of the Settings app. Follow these steps to do that:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. In the System tab, scroll down and open the About section.
3. Expand the Windows specifications tab.
4. Look for the Edition entry to know your OS edition.

If you are running the Home edition, and don’t want to upgrade, consider using an alternative. There are plenty of Windows Sandbox alternatives for Windows 11 that offer similar functionalities and additional features.

2. Check if Windows Sandbox Is Enabled

Some advanced features on Windows 11 are disabled by default, including Windows Sandbox. You’ll need to manually enable Windows Sandbox from the Windows Features dialog to use the feature.

Alternatively, you can also use Windows PowerShell and the Command Prompt to install the virtual desktop environment. If Windows Sandbox is already enabled, try to disable and re-enable it to see if that helps resolve the issue.

To re-enable Windows Sandbox:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type optional features and click OK.
3. In the Turn Windows features on or off dialog, scroll down and uncheck the Windows Sandbox option.

   

4. Click OK and wait for Windows to uninstall and disable the feature.
5. Next, restart your PC to apply the changes.
6. After the restart, open the Turn Windows Features on or off dialog. Locate and select the Windows Sandbox option and click OK. Wait for the installation process to complete, and then restart your computer.

3. Check if the Windows Sandbox Associated Services Are Running

Windows Sandbox needs the Hyper-V Host, Hyper-V Time Synchronization and the Virtual Disk service to be running to work. If one or more services are stopped, it may fail to start.

Using the Windows Services snap-in, you can verify the status and restart the services if necessary. Follow these steps to know how to do it.

To restart Windows Sandbox-related services:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type services.msc and click OK to open the Services snap-in.
3. Next, locate the Network Virtualization Service.
4. Right-click on the service entry and Stop. If you get an error, skip to the next step.
5. Once stopped, right-click on the service once again and select Restart.
6. Next, perform a similar stop-and-start action for the following services:

   Virtual Disk
   Hyper-V Host Computer Service
   Container Manager Service
   Hyper-V Time Synchronization  

7. After restarting all the services, close the Services snap-in and open Windows Sandbox to see if it's working.

4. Disable Any Active VPN Connections and Firewalls

If Windows Sandbox cannot access the internet, check if you are using a VPN, as it may cause issues with Windows Sandbox. Check and turn off any VPN clients open on your computer to see if that resolves the issue.

Alternatively, press Win + I to open the Settings app and go to Network & Internet > VPN. Here, click disconnect to turn off any active VPN connection.

In addition, a third-party firewall may be triggering the issue. So, temporarily disable any third-party antivirus and firewall on your computer.

5. Change Windows Sandbox Security Settings

Changing the Windows Sandbox security setting and allowing the app to have full control may fix any issues triggered due to permission problems.

To edit Windows Sandbox security settings:

1. Press the Win key and type Windows Sandbox.
2. Right-click on the app name and select Open File Location.

   

3. In File Explorer, right-click on the Windows Sandbox icon and select Properties.

   

4. In the Properties dialog, open the Security tab.
5. Click the Edit button. Click Yes if prompted by UAC.

   

6. Next, select the Allow option for Full Control.

   

7. Click Apply and OK to save the changes.
8. Close the Properties dialog and open Windows Sandbox to see if the issue is resolved.

6. Additional Troubleshooting Steps You Can Try

If the issue persists, it may be a case of corrupt or damaged system files. You can use the built-in system repair tools or perform a system restore to undo recent changes to your system to fix the problem.

Let’s look at additional troubleshooting steps to help you fix issues with Windows Sandbox.

1. Install Windows Updates – If it is a known bug, check if a new hotfix is available via Windows updates. To check for new Windows updates:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. Open the Windows updates tab.
3. Click on Check for updates. Install all the critical updates and check for any improvements.

2. Repair corrupted system files – You can run the built-in command-line utility to repair damaged or missing Windows system files. Use the System File Checker and Deployment Image Servicing and Management (DISM) tool to find and fix critical system issues.

3. Uninstall a recently installed Windows update – Keeping your computer updated with the latest Windows patches is always recommended. However, some updates can cause crashes and issues with system apps. If you have installed an update recently, try to manually uninstall the Windows 11 update to see if it resolves the error.

4. Perform a system restore - If you have made any changes to your computer recently and determine it has caused Windows Sandbox issues, perform a system restore.

Depending on your System Protection configuration, you can perform a system restore to undo recent changes to revert your system to an earlier point to recover from malfunctions.

7. Reset or Reinstall Windows 11

If all else fails, a reset may be necessary to fix issues causing the Sandbox to malfunction. Windows offers multiple reset options.

First, there is a repair reinstall option. By using a bootable drive or mounted ISO image, you can reinstall Windows 11. This is preferable as it allows you to reinstall Windows without deleting apps and data.

If not, you can perform a factory reset to reinstall the Windows OS. This will remove all your installed apps but won’t affect your personal files and other data. There is an option to completely wipe your computer and start from scratch.

To perform a reset:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.
2. With the System tab selected, scroll down and select Recovery.

   

3. Next, click on Reset PC.

   

4. Select the Keep my files option to reinstall the OS while keeping your personal files. This will delete your apps and settings.
5. Select the Remove everything option to remove everything and reinstall the OS.

   

6. Next, you’ll see two more options. Cloud download will download a fresh copy of Windows OS and perform a reinstall. If you don’t want to wait or don’t have a reliable Internet connection, select Local Reinstall.
7. Next, follow the on-screen instructions to complete the reset process.

8. Perform a Clean Install

A clean install is necessary when your system encounters a critical issue resulting in malfunctioning. You can create a bootable Windows 11 USB drive to perform a clean install. However, the easiest way to reinstall Windows 11 is by using the Windows 11 media creation tool. Here’s how to do it.

Before you proceed, here are a few things to remember before your clean install Windows. This includes backing up your important data as a clean install will wipe clean your system. Once you have a backup and take other precautions, follow these steps to perform a clean install.

1. Go to the Microsoft Windows 11 download page and download the Windows 11 Media Creation Tool.
2. Connect a USB flash drive you intend to use as a bootable drive. Make sure it has at least 8GB of space. If you don’t have a USB drive, make sure your installation drive (C:\) has at least 8GB of space to download the ISO file.
3. Next, run the mediacreationtool.exe file and click Accept.
4. Uncheck the Use the recommended options for this PC option if you want to change the language and edition. Click Next.
5. Next, select a USB flash drive or ISO file from the media option.
6. Click Next.
7. Once you have the bootable drive or ISO image, you can perform a clean install of Windows 11 with a few more steps.

Restore the Windows Sandbox on Windows 11

Windows Sandbox can stop working due to several reasons. To fix the problem, check the app’s security settings, disable your firewall, and review if the essential services are running. As a last resort, you may need to perform a repair, reinstall, or clean install to get the testing environment working again.