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To enable printer sharing, create a Windows Sandbox configuration file ending in .wsb, put <PrinterRedirection>Enable</PrinterRedirection> inside the file’s <Configuration> element, save it, and open the file. Printer redirection is disabled by default. On a managed computer, an administrator can control the same feature with the Allow printer sharing with Windows Sandbox device policy; Sandbox must be restarted after that policy changes.
What printer sharing does in Windows Sandbox
Windows Sandbox runs a temporary Windows environment separate from the host installation. Printer redirection makes printers installed or available on the host visible to that Sandbox session. It does not install a permanent printer in the host, copy the host’s entire print configuration, or make every printer, driver, and application compatible.
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Microsoft’s configuration guide defines three values for printer redirection: Enable, Disable, and Default. The documented default is off: “Default: This value is the default value for printer redirection support. Currently, this default value denotes that printer redirection is disabled.” Therefore, launching Sandbox normally does not turn on printer sharing unless a configuration file or device policy changes the setting.
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Before you start: edition and feature requirements
Windows Sandbox is an optional Windows feature, and the edition must support it. Microsoft lists these supported editions:
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Windows Home is not supported for Windows Sandbox. If the Sandbox feature itself is unavailable on a Home installation, changing a printer, USB cable, or print driver cannot enable it. Check the Windows edition in Settings > System > About before troubleshooting printer visibility.
The configuration guide identifies Windows 10 build 18342 or later and Windows 11 as supported for the Sandbox configuration format. The separate printer-sharing policy applicability table identifies Windows 10 version 2004 and later (with the servicing versions specified by Microsoft) and Windows 11 version 21H2 and later. These are compatibility identifiers, not a promise that every printer works in every release.
Method 1: enable printer sharing with a .wsb file
A .wsb file is an XML document that tells Windows Sandbox which optional settings to use when it starts. The smallest file that enables printer redirection has exactly two elements:
<Configuration>
<PrinterRedirection>Enable</PrinterRedirection>
</Configuration>Step 1: open a plain-text editor
Open Notepad or another editor that saves unformatted text. Do not use a word processor that adds document formatting, because the Sandbox file must remain valid XML.
Step 2: enter the configuration
Type or paste the XML shown above. The capitalization matters: use Configuration for the outer element and PrinterRedirection with the value Enable. The printer element must be nested inside Configuration; placing it outside the outer element makes the file invalid.
Step 3: save with the .wsb extension
In Notepad, choose File > Save As. Give the file a name such as PrinterSharing.wsb. If Notepad is likely to append .txt, enclose the complete filename in double quotation marks, for example "PrinterSharing.wsb", so the saved name remains PrinterSharing.wsb rather than PrinterSharing.wsb.txt. Select a plain-text encoding and save the file somewhere easy to find, such as the Desktop.
File Explorer may hide known extensions. If the file appears as a text document or its full name ends in .wsb.txt, rename it so the final extension is only .wsb. Windows Sandbox will not treat a text file with the wrong extension as a configuration file.
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Step 4: launch Sandbox from the file
Double-click the saved .wsb file. Windows Sandbox should start using the settings in that document. Approve the User Account Control prompt if Windows displays one. Each time you want this printer-redirection setting, launch Sandbox from this file instead of the ordinary Start-menu shortcut.
Step 5: check the printer inside Sandbox
After the Sandbox desktop appears, open the normal Windows printer interface and look for the redirected host printer. The exact interface can vary by Windows version; use Settings > Bluetooth & devices > Printers & scanners on current Windows 11 builds, or the corresponding printer page in the Windows version running in Sandbox. A printer appearing in the list confirms that it is available to that session. Test printing only with an application and document that you trust.
Redirection is an availability feature, not a compatibility guarantee. Microsoft’s cited documentation does not provide a universal list of printer models, drivers, print languages, or applications that work through Sandbox. A host printer that is visible in Windows may still fail for a particular driver or application inside the isolated environment.
Method 2: use the device policy on a managed computer
Organizations can set printer sharing for the device instead of relying on each user’s .wsb file. The policy is named Allow printer sharing with Windows Sandbox and is device-scoped.
| Setup route | Best use | Control | Important limitation |
|---|---|---|---|
.wsb configuration |
An individual user wants to launch Sandbox with a custom setting | <PrinterRedirection>Enable</PrinterRedirection> |
A device policy can override or restrict the setting |
| Device policy | An administrator needs a consistent setting across a managed computer | Allow printer sharing with Windows Sandbox; registry value HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSandboxAllowPrinterRedirection |
It applies to the device, not just one user, and Sandbox must be restarted after changes |
Group Policy location
In the Local Group Policy Editor or a domain policy, go to:
Computer Configuration > Windows Components > Windows Sandbox > Allow printer sharing with Windows Sandbox
An administrator can configure the policy there according to the organization’s requirements. The corresponding policy registry value is HKLMSOFTWAREPoliciesMicrosoftWindowsSandboxAllowPrinterRedirection. Do not edit that registry value to bypass organizational controls; policy ownership belongs to the administrator managing the device.
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Restart Sandbox after a policy change
Microsoft explicitly requires Windows Sandbox to be restarted after changing this printer policy. Close every open Sandbox session, apply or refresh the policy, and launch Sandbox again. A session that was already running will not necessarily acquire the new setting while it remains open.
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How to tell which setting is controlling the result
A user-created file is the simplest route when you control the computer. If the file is valid but Sandbox says a setting is controlled by the IT administrator, a Group Policy or other device-management rule may be enforcing the value. Contact the organization’s IT administrator rather than trying to work around it.
If both a policy and a .wsb file are present, treat the policy as the authoritative device-level control. An administrator may disable printer sharing even when a file requests Enable, or may require a restart before a changed policy is recognized.
Troubleshooting: why Windows Sandbox cannot see the printer
The file opens as text or does nothing
- Check the complete filename in File Explorer. It must end in
.wsb, not.wsb.txt. - Open the file in Notepad and confirm that it is plain XML, not formatted text.
- Verify that
PrinterRedirectionis inside the outerConfigurationelement. - Confirm that the value is exactly
Enable, with matching opening and closing tags.
Sandbox reports an invalid argument
Microsoft identifies an invalid or erroneous .wsb file as a possible cause of an invalid-argument message. Recreate the file from the minimal example rather than adding several settings at once. Remove comments, stray characters, and unmatched angle brackets, then save it again with the .wsb extension.
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This message indicates that device policy may be controlling printer redirection. Check with the administrator responsible for Group Policy or mobile-device management. A local user cannot reliably override a device-scoped policy by changing the XML file.
The policy was changed but the printer is still absent
- Close the running Sandbox window.
- Allow the policy to refresh, or have the administrator apply it through the organization’s management system.
- Start a new Sandbox session.
- Check the printer list again.
Restarting only an application inside Sandbox is not the same as restarting the Sandbox session; the environment itself must be closed and launched again.
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The setting is enabled but no printer appears
First confirm that the printer is available and usable on the host Windows installation. If the host cannot see or use it, redirection has no source to expose. If the host printer works, investigate the specific computer’s policy, driver installation, print-server configuration, and the application being used inside Sandbox. There is no Microsoft compatibility matrix that guarantees every model or driver will be redirected.
Network printers can also be affected by ordinary network and authentication requirements. Printer sharing does not grant credentials, repair a disconnected host printer, or replace a vendor-specific driver. Keep the diagnosis focused on the particular printer and application rather than assuming that the XML setting failed.
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Printer redirection is one optional Sandbox integration setting. It is separate from networking, clipboard redirection, and mapped host folders. Enabling one does not automatically enable or disable the others.
Microsoft states: “Enabling networking can expose untrusted applications to the internal network.” Networking is enabled by default in Windows Sandbox, so consider whether a program you are testing needs network access. If the software is untrusted, disabling or otherwise restricting networking may reduce exposure, subject to your testing requirements.
Mapped folders have a different risk profile. Closing Sandbox normally removes the software, files, and state created inside that disposable environment. However, Microsoft warns that changes made to a writable mapped host folder persist after Sandbox closes, and software running in Sandbox can affect exposed host directories. Do not treat printer redirection as a persistence mechanism or as equivalent to mapped-folder access.
Use printer sharing only when the test or workflow requires it. A redirected printer can receive documents generated by software running in Sandbox, so choose test documents and destination printers accordingly.
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What enabling printer sharing does not solve
- It does not add Windows Sandbox to an unsupported Windows Home edition.
- It does not install or repair a host printer driver.
- It does not promise compatibility with every printer model, print server, driver, or application.
- It does not change clipboard, network, or mapped-folder settings.
- It does not make files or software inside a closed Sandbox persistent.
- It does not override an administrator’s device policy.
When the goal is simply to print a document from the normal Windows desktop, enabling Sandbox printer sharing is unnecessary. The setting matters when a program running inside the isolated environment must access a host printer.
Quick Recap
Recommended setup checklist
- Confirm that the Windows edition supports Sandbox; Home is not supported.
- Confirm that the Windows version meets the relevant Sandbox or policy applicability requirements.
- Create a plain-text
.wsbfile with the correctly nestedPrinterRedirectionelement. - Ensure the filename is not accidentally saved as
.wsb.txt. - Launch Sandbox by double-clicking the configuration file.
- Check the printer list inside the new session.
- If a policy message appears, involve the device administrator.
- After a policy change, close and relaunch Windows Sandbox.
- Review networking and mapped-folder exposure independently of printer sharing.
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