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Windows Sandbox Failed to Start — Hypervisor and Virtualization Errors

Warningsystem

Overview

Fix Windows Sandbox failing to start with hypervisor errors, virtualization not enabled, or the Sandbox feature unavailable in Windows Features.

Key Details

  • Windows Sandbox provides a temporary, isolated desktop environment for running untrusted software
  • It requires Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education (not available on Home edition)
  • Sandbox uses hardware virtualization (Hyper-V technology) which must be enabled in BIOS
  • Each Sandbox session starts clean and is destroyed when closed — no data persists
  • Sandbox requires 4GB+ RAM, 1GB+ free disk space, and a 64-bit processor with virtualization support

Common Causes

  • Hardware virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) disabled in BIOS/UEFI settings
  • Windows Sandbox feature not enabled in Windows Features
  • Conflicting hypervisor — VMware, VirtualBox without Hyper-V compatibility mode
  • Insufficient system resources (RAM or disk space) to start the Sandbox virtual machine

Steps

  1. 1Enable virtualization in BIOS: restart > BIOS setup > CPU settings > enable VT-x or AMD-V
  2. 2Enable Windows Sandbox feature: Control Panel > Programs > Turn Windows features on or off > check Windows Sandbox
  3. 3Restart the computer after enabling the feature (required for Hyper-V components to load)
  4. 4Resolve VMware/VirtualBox conflicts: upgrade to versions that support Hyper-V coexistence or disable them
  5. 5Ensure at least 4GB free RAM: close unnecessary applications before starting Sandbox

Tags

sandboxvirtualizationhyper-visolationsecurity

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Frequently Asked Questions

No. Windows Sandbox requires Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education. Home edition users can use third-party alternatives like Sandboxie or create a virtual machine with VirtualBox.