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How to Enable Virtualization for Windows Sandbox in BIOS and Windows 11

Turn on processor virtualization in UEFI/BIOS, enable the separate Windows Sandbox feature in Windows 11, and check nested virtualization if Windows runs in a VM.
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To use Windows Sandbox on a physical PC, ensure processor virtualization is enabled in UEFI/BIOS, then enable the separate Windows Sandbox optional feature in Windows 11 and restart if prompted. Virtualization may already be on, so check before changing firmware settings. If Windows 11 itself runs inside a virtual machine, that VM also needs nested virtualization enabled.

Check whether your PC can run Windows Sandbox

Microsoft lists Windows Sandbox for supported Windows 11 and Windows 10 version 1903 or later Pro, Enterprise, and Education editions. Its published requirements are at least 4 GB of RAM, 1 GB of free disk space, and two CPU cores. Microsoft recommends 8 GB of RAM, an SSD, and four cores with hyper-threading. These are listed requirements and recommendations, not guarantees of a particular level of performance. Microsoft lists AMD64 architecture, or Arm64 on Windows 11 version 22H2 and later.

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Many Windows devices already have processor virtualization enabled. Identify your computer’s make and model and check its manufacturer’s instructions before entering firmware settings; the menu names and layout vary by device.

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Enable processor virtualization in UEFI/BIOS

  1. In Windows 11, open Settings > System > Recovery.
  2. Next to Advanced startup, select Restart now.
  3. In Windows Recovery Environment, choose Troubleshoot > Advanced options > UEFI Settings > Restart. Some computers use the term BIOS instead of UEFI.
  4. In the firmware interface, find the processor-virtualization setting specified in the instructions for your computer model. Enable it, then save your change and exit.

There is no universal firmware menu label: names differ between manufacturers and processors. Change only the virtualization setting you need, rather than adjusting unrelated firmware options.

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Turn on the Windows Sandbox feature

Enabling virtualization in firmware does not install Sandbox. In Windows, search Start for Turn Windows features on or off, select Windows Sandbox, confirm, and restart if Windows prompts you.

You can also enable the feature from an elevated PowerShell window with Microsoft’s documented command:

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Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -FeatureName "Containers-DisposableClientVM" -All -Online

Virtual Machine Platform is a different Windows feature. Microsoft discusses it in general virtualization guidance, including for some Windows 10-to-11 upgrades; it is not another name for Windows Sandbox. For Sandbox installation, select the Windows Sandbox feature.

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If Windows 11 runs inside a virtual machine

A Windows Sandbox host running as a guest VM needs nested virtualization exposed to that VM, in addition to the Sandbox feature. For a Hyper-V VM, Microsoft documents this host-side PowerShell example:

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Set-VMProcessor -VMName <VMName> -ExposeVirtualizationExtensions $true

Replace <VMName> with the name of the guest VM. The command is run on the Hyper-V host, not inside the Windows 11 guest. Other virtualization platforms have their own controls for exposing virtualization extensions.

Troubleshoot “No hypervisor was found”

Microsoft Learn states: “Windows Sandbox only supports Hyper-V Hypervisor.” For this error, check that the Hyper-V hypervisor is enabled. Also distinguish the possible causes: on a physical PC, processor virtualization may be disabled in firmware; inside a VM, nested virtualization may not be exposed; and in either case, the Windows Sandbox optional feature must be installed.

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Know what Sandbox does—and what it does not do

Windows Sandbox is a lightweight isolated environment using hardware-based virtualization and the Microsoft hypervisor to isolate a separate kernel. Closing it deletes the software, files, and state inside it.

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Networking is enabled by default. That can expose an untrusted application to the internal network, so for workflows where network access is unnecessary or inappropriate, disable networking with a .wsb configuration file. For safer handling of unknown files, map only the specific file or folder needed and use read-only access where practical.

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Windows 11 version 24H2: the app update is separate

Microsoft says an updated Windows Sandbox app is available through Microsoft Store beginning with Windows 11 version 24H2. The newer app has an update prerequisite specified in Microsoft’s version notes, and its Store-delivered update requires access to the internet, Windows Update, and Microsoft Store. This app update is separate from enabling virtualization in firmware and installing the Windows Sandbox optional feature.

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