Try a known Windows app in Sandbox before installing it

Windows Sandbox creates a temporary Windows desktop on supported editions. It is helpful for trying a legitimate app you are evaluating without changing your everyday installation. It is not a reason to execute a file that already looks malicious: the sandbox has network access by default and careless sharing can create risk.

Before you start​

Check Settings → System → About for your Windows edition. Sandbox requires a supported edition and hardware virtualization; Windows Home does not include this feature. Back up the real PC before broader software experiments.

Do it step by step​

1. Search Start for Turn Windows features on or off. Select Windows Sandbox, accept the change and restart if prompted. If the feature is missing, verify edition and virtualization prerequisites instead of downloading a third-party imitation.
2. Launch Windows Sandbox from Start. Confirm you are looking at its separate desktop, not a normal window on the host. Do not sign in to sensitive personal or work accounts for a simple app evaluation.
3. Download the installer from the publisher's verified site inside the sandbox, or carefully transfer a known file. Avoid copying passwords, personal documents or your entire Downloads folder into the temporary environment.
4. Install and try the particular functions you care about. Observe whether the app requires account access, unexpected extensions or new permissions; a smooth launch is not a security certification.
5. Copy out only harmless files you deliberately want to retain, close Sandbox and accept its deletion warning. Reopen it to confirm the test installation is gone before deciding whether to install the app on your main PC.

Check the result​

A fresh launch should have none of the app's earlier state. On the host, check that the application did not appear in its installed-app list. Decide separately whether the publisher and download can be trusted.

If something goes wrong​

If Sandbox will not start, check edition, virtualization and available resources using Microsoft's prerequisites. On a managed PC, ask IT before enabling optional features. Do not turn off protections to make an uncertain program run.

Know the limit​

Closing the Sandbox discards its state, but it does not make network communication inside it harmless. Microsoft documents default networking and its isolation model; use a dedicated configuration when a higher-risk test genuinely requires restricted networking. Microsoft's Sandbox overview Microsoft's installation prerequisites