Shulou(Shulou.com)05/31 Report--

In the 18305 version of Windows 10, a small editor thinks that the most practical sandbox function (Windows Sandbox) is added, so what is this function for? How to use Windows Sandbox? Let's find out together. We'll also compare Windows Sandbox to Sandboxie to see what's different.

Figure 1 This lock screen wallpaper is good

What is Windows Sandbox? What does it do?

Windows Sandbox belongs to a sand table system. When many people mention the sand table, they will think of the sand table in front of the generals when they discussed tactics in ancient times. However, this sand table is not the sand table. The sand table mentioned here is mainly to help users establish an isolated environment so that all the operations of the user in it will not affect the sand table of the real system.

When browsing web pages, even if anti-virus software is installed, it is inevitable that some malicious software will invade, and virus Trojans will follow, which will not only cause loss of data, but also cause account theft and other events that you do not want to happen.

Install and uninstall software frequently. These preferences often lead to bloated and confusing systems. Is it possible to install and use these software without affecting the operating system?

There is a virus in the installer, but I need it, what should I do?

Crack patches are reported by antivirus software, how can we use them safely?

With the help of the sandbox, the above problems can be solved. You can install software, browse web pages, and even activate viruses in the sandbox without worrying about affecting the stability and security of the system.

To quote a passage: A computer is like a piece of paper, and the operation and change of programs are like writing words on paper. The sand table was equivalent to putting a piece of glass on paper. The operation and changes of the program were like writing on that piece of glass. Except for the glass, there was still no change on the paper.

Where is Windows Sandbox? How to install Windows Sandbox? Windows Sandbox hardware requirements

Although Windows Sandbox is built into Windows 18305, it needs to be manually added by the user to use it. Specific steps: Control Panel → Programs and Functions → Enable or Disable Windows Features → Check Windows Sandbox. After confirming the installation, restart the system.

CPU support (Intel Virtualization Technology (Intel VT) or AMD Virtualization Technology (AMD-V)) is also required on hardware.

Figure 2 Check Windows Sandbox

Experience Windows Sandbox virtual machine type Sandbox

After successfully opening the Windows Sandbox function, Xiaobian can't wait to experience it. You can find Windows Sandbox in the Start menu. After clicking, you can open Windows Sandbox. However, unlike Xiaobian's imagination, Windows Sandbox is more like a virtual machine than a sand table, so it is called a sandbox. Windows Sandbox takes a while to open, just like virtual machine startup.

Figure 3 Windows Sandbox Loading

Users who have used virtual machines know that virtual machines can be used to create another independent system environment in the operating system. VMware is the best virtual machine software. Windows Sandbox also uses the virtual machine form, inside is a completely independent operating system, the operating system also uses Windows 10.

Windows Sandbox runs slower on small computers.

Figure 4 Windows Sandbox is like a virtual machine

What Windows Sandbox Can Do

Enter Windows Sandbox, you can install software, browse web pages, etc. in Windows Sandbox just like in daily operation, just like in physical system, everything is exactly the same as in physical machine operation. Just can't install Windows 10 UWP apps without Store in Windows Sandbox. However, the Win10 UWP application itself is running in a sandbox-like App Container, so it does not need a Sandbox to ensure security, so the design is understandable.

Figure 5: Installing software in Windows Sandbox

Figure 6: Web browsing in Windows Sandbox

Windows Sandbox supports full-screen mode, which is just like the real operating system.

Figure 7 Running Windows Sandbox Full Screen

Windows Sandbox can be tested.

What can users do in Windows Sandbox? Users can test suspected packages in Windows Sandbox to avoid compromising the real system. You can also browse certain web pages in Windows Sandbox to avoid being fooled. In Windows Sandbox, you can do whatever you want.

Of course, if you have a Trojan horse in the Windows Sandbox system, although this Trojan horse will not affect the real system, but it can affect the Windows Sandbox virtual system, you should not be stupid to enter the account password in the Windows Sandbox. However partial virus trojan is to refuse to run below virtual machine environment.

Windows Sandbox file transfer with physical systems

Microsoft's Windows Sandbox shares the clipboard with the real system, allowing users to transfer files to Windows Sandbox and vice versa by copying them from the physical system and pasting them in Windows Sandbox.

Windows Sandbox places that need special attention

Finally, the most important thing is that Windows Sandbox will automatically remove all traces of user use after closing, including all data files in Windows Sandbox, that is, when Windows Sandbox is opened next time, it starts from zero, that is, a brand new Windows Sandbox system. For example, the files you download in Windows Sandbox are actually stored in Windows Sandbox virtual system, if you do not manually save them out of the real system, then when you close Windows Sandbox, these files will be lost.

The Windows Sandbox model is also like taking a snapshot in VMware, and then performing a series of operations to restore the system to the snapshot that was just created. That is, everything goes to zero!

So you have data that you need to save in Windows Sandbox, and you need to transfer it back to the physical system before closing Windows Sandbox.

Figure 8 Tips

The reason why Windows Sandbox is different from imagination is because it has a big gap with the famous Sandbox software Sandboxie. Next, let's see what Sandboxie is like.

Sandboxie, the best in Sandbox software, what does it look like?

Sandboxie allows users to run browsers or other programs in a sandbox environment. Therefore, changes made by programs running in the sandbox can be deleted at any time. It can be used to protect the security of the real system when browsing the web, can also be used to remove traces of surfing the Internet and running programs, and can also be used to test software and viruses. Even files downloaded during the sandbox process can be deleted as the sandbox is emptied.

This is similar to virtual machines, but different. Because a virtual machine is a completely virtual operating system built inside a real system (such as virtual Linux in Windows). Unlike virtual machines, SangBoxie doesn't need to virtualize the entire computer, it just virtualizes an environment based on the existing system in which specific programs run, so if your real system is Windows 10, the programs running in SandBoxie also run in Windows 10 environment, and you can also directly access existing files on your hard disk, but the relevant changes are made in the virtual environment. In this way, system resources are saved and computer configuration requirements are low. This is also the difference between Windows Sandbox and Sandboxie.

Figure 9 Official schematic diagram

After installation, Sandboxie will have a guided tutorial for users to learn basic operations. Sandboxie allows users to create multiple independent sandbox environments.

Figure 10 Guided Tutorial

Figure 11 Guided Tutorial

Then, users can find the option "Run in Sandbox" in the right-click menu of any program in the entity system. Through this function, users can quickly put the specified program into the Sandbox to run. The program running in the Sandbox is in isolation state, and all operations will not affect the entity system.

Figure 12: Quickly bring the program into the sand table

If the user wants to keep the files in the sandbox, for example, if the user runs Chrome browser with Sandboxie and downloads the files in Chrome, the downloaded files will not be kept in the same directory of the physical system but saved in the virtual system of the sandbox. To save them to the physical system, the user needs to manually do so.

Figure 13 prompts the user to save the file to the physical system

A program running with Sandboxie, even if it is a virus Trojan, will not cause physical system poisoning because it is a completely isolated environment.

Programs that run in Sandboxie are surrounded by yellow strokes when activated and the title bar automatically adds [#] [#] so that users can distinguish whether the program runs in Sandboxie.

Figure 14 Distinguishing signs

Figure 15 Yellow stroke

Comparing Windows Sandbox and Sandboxie, we can know:

Sandboxie has the advantages of high performance and easy operation, but it is not free.

Windows Sandbox has the advantage of being completely virtual and free, but its performance is lower-at least a little slow on small computers.

Summary

Windows Sandbox function added, so that users can have an independent isolation system environment, in this environment can completely do not have to worry about virus Trojan invasion into the real system, there are doubts, dangerous operations into Windows Sandbox to operate, safe and reliable. At present, Windows Sandbox still has a gap with Sandboxie in terms of convenience and performance. As a native system function, this doesn't seem to be appropriate. I wonder if Windows Sandbox will be improved and officially added to the system in the next official version of Windows 10?

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