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Choose the isolation model before installing the agent
The right Windows isolation option depends on what the agent needs to do. First decide whether it needs to retain files or configuration, contact online services, read local input files, use copy and paste, access peripherals, or handle credentials. Those requirements determine which boundaries you can close.
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| Decision factor | Windows Sandbox | Hyper-V virtual machine |
|---|---|---|
| What happens to changes | Closing the Sandbox removes its software, files and state. | The guest keeps its software, files and state until you deliberately revert or rebuild it. |
| Virtualization model | Uses hardware-based virtualization and a separate kernel. | Runs a full guest operating system under the Hyper-V hypervisor. |
| Resource profile | Microsoft characterizes it as lightweight. | Microsoft characterizes full Hyper-V VMs as more resource-intensive. |
| Network default | Networking is enabled by default, but can be disabled in a .wsb configuration file. |
Network access depends on the virtual switch and guest configuration you create. |
| Host-data routes | Clipboard sharing is enabled by default; mapped host folders can be configured read-only or read-write. | You choose which integration features, shared folders, drives, clipboard channels and network connections to enable. |
| Edition requirement | Microsoft lists Windows Pro among supported editions; Windows Home is not supported. | Availability and workload compatibility depend on your Windows edition, hardware and Hyper-V configuration. |
Sandbox is a good fit for a one-off prompt, document conversion, code experiment or other task where losing everything at close is desirable. Hyper-V is the better fit when the agent needs a persistent project directory, installed packages, a long-running service or repeatable snapshots. Persistence also gives an attacker more time and more data to work with, so protect the VM’s files and configuration as carefully as the host.
Define the agent’s required access
Do not begin by granting broad access and planning to tighten it later. Write down the minimum access required for this particular agent and task.
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- Network: Does it need a web API, package repository, remote computer or no network at all?
- Input files: Which files must it read, and can they be copied into a dedicated staging directory first?
- Output files: Where should results go, and can the host collect them after the run rather than giving the agent a writable host directory?
- Clipboard: Is copy and paste genuinely required, or is a text file safer?
- Credentials: Can the task use a newly created, least-privileged account or short-lived token instead of a personal account?
- Persistence: Must the environment survive a reboot or multiple sessions?
- Peripherals and integration: Does it require audio, cameras, USB devices, browser profiles or other host integrations?
If you cannot explain why a route is needed, leave it closed. An AI agent can interpret instructions, execute commands and process files in ways that are difficult to predict, so ordinary convenience features become potential exfiltration or tampering paths.
Configure Windows Sandbox for a disposable run
1. Confirm that the edition and hardware are eligible
- Open Settings > System > About and check the Windows edition under Windows specifications. Windows Pro is among the editions Microsoft supports for Windows Sandbox; Windows Home is not.
- Confirm that hardware virtualization is enabled in the system firmware and that your machine meets Microsoft’s Windows Sandbox requirements.
- Open Turn Windows features on or off, enable Windows Sandbox, and restart if Windows requests it. If the feature is absent, resolve the edition or hardware issue before moving on rather than substituting a less controlled configuration.
The exact agent requirements still matter. Sandbox’s separate kernel and hardware-based virtualization provide isolation, but they do not make an incompatible agent work or guarantee that a malicious workload cannot attack a host or an exposed service.
2. Start with a restrictive .wsb file
Networking and clipboard redirection are on by default. Microsoft explicitly warns that “Enabling networking can expose untrusted applications to the internal network.” Create a plain-text file with a .wsb extension and launch it instead of relying on the defaults.
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<Networking>Disable</Networking>
<ClipboardRedirection>Disable</ClipboardRedirection>
</Configuration>Save the file, for example as Agent-Offline.wsb, and double-click it to open the configured Sandbox. A .wsb file is a configuration for that launch; it does not turn Sandbox into a permanently hardened policy. Recheck the file whenever you change the workflow.
Sandbox memory is configurable. Microsoft documents that if the configured value is below the required minimum, Windows automatically raises it to 2048 MB. That 2048 MB figure is a product configuration minimum, not a performance or safety benchmark. Add a memory setting only after confirming the agent’s documented needs and the host’s available RAM.
3. Keep host folders out unless an input requires one
The safest default is no mapped folder. If the agent needs a file, create a dedicated staging folder containing only those inputs and map it read-only:
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<Configuration>
<Networking>Disable</Networking>
<ClipboardRedirection>Disable</ClipboardRedirection>
<MappedFolders>
<MappedFolder>
<HostFolder>C:SandboxInput</HostFolder>
<SandboxFolder>C:Input</SandboxFolder>
<ReadOnly>true</ReadOnly>
</MappedFolder>
</MappedFolders>
</Configuration>Replace the example host path with a folder created specifically for this run. Do not map a home directory, desktop, profile, password store, source-code tree containing secrets or a drive root. Microsoft warns that exposing host directories can let malicious software affect the system or steal data. Read-only access limits modification but does not stop the agent from reading everything in that folder, so inspect and sanitize its contents first.
4. Decide how to handle files and results
For a one-way input, place files in the read-only staging folder before launch. For output, prefer writing inside Sandbox and manually moving reviewed results after the agent exits. A writable mapped folder is a direct host write path; use it only when the task cannot work another way and when the directory contains no sensitive material.
With clipboard redirection disabled, do not paste secrets into the guest. If a small text value is unavoidable, put it in a temporary file in the controlled input folder and remove that file after the run. Never copy passwords, browser session tokens, private keys or an entire clipboard history merely to save time.
5. Close the Sandbox to erase the session
When the task ends, close the Sandbox window and confirm that you do not need anything left inside it. Closing the environment discards its installed software, files and state. That disposability is the main advantage for short-lived experiments: a later run starts clean instead of inheriting unknown changes.
Use Hyper-V when persistence is necessary
A Hyper-V VM keeps its state unless you deliberately revert or rebuild it. That makes it practical for agents that need installed dependencies, a durable workspace or repeated sessions, but it turns the VM into a system that needs ongoing maintenance.
Build a separate guest, not a copy of your daily workstation
- Enable the Hyper-V platform and management tools on a supported Windows edition, then restart if required.
- Create a new VM with storage and memory sized for the agent and the host’s workload. Avoid allocating so much that the host becomes unstable; instability can interrupt updates, logging and recovery.
- Install a supported Windows guest, apply current security updates, and create a dedicated account with only the privileges the agent needs.
- Keep the VM’s virtual disks, configuration files, checkpoints and logs in a protected location accessible only to administrators who need them.
- Before installing the agent, turn off integration features you do not need. Treat clipboard, drive sharing, enhanced-session features, USB or device passthrough and host file exchange as separate decisions.
Microsoft recommends securing the Hyper-V host, the virtual machines, their configuration files and their data. A persistent guest should therefore have its own update schedule, access controls, malware monitoring and recovery plan rather than being treated as a disposable download directory.
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Choose the least-exposed network design
- No network: Use no virtual network connection when the agent can operate entirely on local, pre-staged data. This removes online exfiltration and remote-service access for that session, but the agent may fail if it requires an API or package download.
- Controlled outbound access: If online access is required, use a deliberately restricted virtual network and host or guest firewall policy that permits only the destinations and protocols the task needs. Review DNS, proxy and certificate settings because they can reveal or redirect traffic.
- Direct LAN exposure: Connecting the guest to the same physical network as the host and other devices gives the agent a broader reachable environment. Use this only when a specific requirement justifies it, and isolate the workload from sensitive internal systems where possible.
Networking enabled in a VM is not equivalent to networking enabled in Sandbox: the exact exposure depends on the virtual switch, guest firewall and host network. Record the choice in the VM’s runbook so a later operator does not accidentally reconnect a previously offline guest.
Manage persistence deliberately
Before a risky change, capture a known-good recovery point according to your organization’s process. Revert or rebuild after an untrusted experiment instead of assuming that uninstalling the agent removed every change. A checkpoint is a recovery aid, not proof that the guest or host is clean; retain backups of any data that must survive and protect those backups from guest write access.
When the task is complete, shut down the guest, review its logs and outputs from the host, and decide whether to keep, revert or destroy it. If credentials or sensitive files were ever exposed, rotate or revoke them even if the VM is later deleted.
Close the main routes between guest and host
Networking
Network access can let an agent download tools, call remote APIs, probe reachable systems or send data away. Sandbox starts with networking enabled, so disabling it in the .wsb file is an explicit first step. In Hyper-V, disconnect the virtual adapter for offline work or apply a narrowly scoped policy when connectivity is essential. Do not describe either choice as an absolute safety guarantee: software vulnerabilities, misconfiguration and attacks against reachable services remain possible.
Clipboard redirection
Clipboard redirection is enabled by default in Sandbox. It is a bidirectional data path: information can enter the guest, and an agent can place guest-generated content on the host clipboard. Disable it unless the workflow genuinely needs it. If it must be enabled temporarily, clear the clipboard before and after the session and never use it for credentials or confidential documents.
Mapped folders and shared drives
A mapped folder gives the guest visibility into host data; write access also gives it a modification path. Prefer no mapping, then a small read-only input folder, and only lastly a narrowly scoped writable output directory. Keep secrets out of the directory and inspect generated files before moving them elsewhere.
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Credentials and host integrations
Do not sign the agent into your personal Windows profile, browser session or cloud storage. Use a separate low-privilege account and short-lived tokens with the minimum permissions. Disable device passthrough and other integration features unless the task requires them. The fewer channels enabled at once, the easier it is to understand what the agent can reach and to investigate an unexpected action.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsA practical operating checklist
Before launch
- Identify whether the run is disposable or persistent.
- Confirm the Windows edition and virtualization prerequisites.
- List required network destinations, files, credentials and integrations.
- Prepare sanitized input data in a dedicated folder.
- Disable networking and clipboard sharing unless a documented requirement says otherwise.
- Check that no home-directory, profile or drive-root mapping is present.
- For Hyper-V, verify that recovery points, VM files and backups are protected.
During the run
- Watch for unexpected network connections, file writes or requests for additional privileges.
- Do not approve prompts simply to keep the workflow moving.
- Stop the guest if the agent behaves outside the agreed scope, then preserve relevant logs for investigation.
After the run
- Review outputs before opening them on the host or sharing them.
- Remove temporary tokens and revoke credentials that were exposed.
- Close Sandbox to discard state, or revert/rebuild the Hyper-V guest according to your recovery procedure.
- Delete staging files that contain sensitive input and record any configuration change made for the task.
Troubleshoot the common failure points
Windows Sandbox is missing
Recheck the edition in Settings > System > About. Windows Home does not support the feature, and the documented supported-edition list should be checked before changing hardware or installing software. Also confirm that hardware virtualization is enabled and that the Windows feature is turned on.
The agent cannot connect
That may be the intended result of a restrictive profile. First verify whether the task truly requires network access. If it does, enable only the necessary route, document the destinations, and understand that allowing networking increases exposure.
The agent cannot see an input file
Check that the file is in the dedicated host folder named in MappedFolder, that the guest path matches SandboxFolder, and that the folder was mapped before launch. If the task can use a copied file instead, avoid expanding the mapping.
The agent asks for clipboard access
Keep clipboard redirection disabled and use a controlled file exchange when possible. If enabling it is unavoidable, treat the clipboard as an exposed data channel and remove secrets from it immediately after the operation.
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The persistent VM keeps unwanted changes
Shut it down and use the deliberate revert, restore or rebuild process. Do not assume that deleting one application removed its configuration, scheduled tasks, downloaded tools or credentials.
What this setup can and cannot promise
Windows Sandbox and Hyper-V create useful isolation boundaries, and careful configuration reduces unnecessary access. Neither option is an agent-specific safety certification. The appropriate controls depend on the agent’s code, privileges, dependencies and behavior, none of which can be inferred from the fact that it runs in Windows. Keep the host patched, minimize exposed routes, use untrusted inputs cautiously and be prepared to destroy or restore the environment when the task is over.
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