Advice Request Sandboxie: Sandboxed media files. How to open them?

[shmu26]

Windows 10 opens pics, audio and video in Windows Universal apps, and those apps don't work in Sandboxie sandbox. How do you open your media files when they are downloaded by a sandboxed browser?

 

[Andy Ful]

If these files are opened by Apps in AppContainer then you do not need Sandboxie for that.

 

[plat]

Only a basic user myself, but here are some thoughts:

The only thing native to Windows I run sandboxed is Windows Media Player. I have it set as a default app in Settings/Apps/Default apps, not Groove Music which of course cannot be sandboxed.

You can install the third party player inside or outside the box and then configure a sandbox for it using the New Box function. There's a dedicated section in SBIE Control for media players like PotPlayer, VLC and some others. You can also force torrent clients to run in SBIE. You have to expand the Applications section in Sandbox Settings in order to be able to force these players to run in SBIE.

Or what I do is open a music file (or whatever media) via right-click context menu. It then opens sandboxed after a couple of clicks. I'm running WMP that way right now, it's lovely and so much easier to configure than Groove. I show you here, it has a black border instead of that garish yellow one. One thing: WMP is also set as a default app for music player so that it'll open that way automatically. If the default is Groove, SBIE will show an error box and your music file won't play.

Spoiler

If anyone can correct or streamline anything here, please, by all means: do.

 

[Andy Ful]

Or what I do is open a music file (or whatever media) via right-click context menu.

You do not need to use right-click. Just add the executable which opens the media to files that automatically run in the special sandbox. Usually, such a sandbox can be highly hardened. I often disabled the execution of any executable except the media player (some adjusting can be required).

 

[shmu26]

You do not need to use right-click. Just add the executable which opens the media to files that automatically run in the special sandbox. Usually, such a sandbox can be highly hardened. I often disabled the execution of any executable except the media player (some adjusting can be required).

"Automatically run" means "forced processes" in SBIE terminology?

I definitely agree with your earlier comment that App Container apps don't need SBIE. The problem is that I simply can't open the media files at all with a regular left-click. @plat1098 has a workable solution for me, i.e., right-click, but I am really fishing for a super-easy solution that won't frustrate beginners who use the computer.

 

[Andy Ful]

"Automatically run" means "forced processes" in SBIE terminology?

I definitely agree with your earlier comment that App Container apps don't need SBIE. The problem is that I simply can't open the media files at all with a regular left-click. @plat1098 has a workable solution for me, i.e., right-click, but I am really fishing for a super-easy solution that won't frustrate beginners who use the computer.

Did you try to open the file by the right-click >> Open with >> Choose another application ...
Do not forget to tick the option "Always open files ...."

You can also use Settings >> Apps >> Default Apps >> Set defaults by app

How to force Windows 10 to set apps as default

Is Settings not letting you set apps as default? In this guide, we'll show you the steps to get around this problem on Windows 10.

www.windowscentral.com

 

[shmu26]

Did you try to open the file by the right-click >> Open with >> Choose another application ...
Do not forget to tick the option "Always open files ...."

You can also use Settings >> Apps >> Default Apps >> Set defaults by app

How to force Windows 10 to set apps as default

Is Settings not letting you set apps as default? In this guide, we'll show you the steps to get around this problem on Windows 10.

www.windowscentral.com

"right-click >> Open with >> Choose another application" -- this works.
"Always open files ...." doesn't work in sandbox, and that is the problem.

"Settings >> Apps >> Default Apps >> Set defaults by app" -- I don't want to change the file associations completely. I only want it in the sandbox. Outside of the sandbox, I prefer the Appcontainer apps.

 

[Andy Ful]

I am not sure what is your problem.
Can you open the media files with a left-click without using Sandboxie?
If so, then what media player is opened?
If not, then can you repair this?

 

[shmu26]

I am not sure what is your problem.
Can you open the media files with a left-click without using Sandboxie?
If so, then what media player is opened?
If not, then can you repair this?

Sorry for not being clear... Maybe I can best describe my goal by way of example.
I installed LibreOffice in the sandbox. Why? Because Microsoft 365 apps can't run in the sandbox, and I want to open Word docs inside the sandbox. Now that I installed LibreOffice inside the sandbox, I got what I wanted -- I click on a Word doc in the sandbox, and it opens.
I want to be able to do the same with a JPG file, or a MP3 or a MP4 -- click on it in the sandbox, and it opens.
A left-click, and then select an app every time from a context menu, is an imperfect solution in my case because it will frustrate beginners.

A regular SBIE user might be able to tell me what he or she does.

 

[Freki123]

In short and properly forgetting a lot. What I did from memory (there is properly a better way ):
Install e.g VLC player the normal way (not sandboxed). During install let it takeover "default mediaplayer" for all the dozens media types I wanted to view with it.
After that make VLC a "forced Program" in sandboxie. So whenever I click an media type where VLC is default it will open sandboxed.

Why I did it that way for me:
I want to autodelete my sandboxes on closing. (Which I couldn't when I would try to install the program inside the sandbox).

Maybe also take a look at Comparison: FreeOffice and SoftMaker Office Afaik the free version got no macro support. Which I consider a big plus for a normal homeuser.

 

[shmu26]

In short and properly forgetting a lot. What I did from memory (there is properly a better way ):
Install e.g VLC player the normal way (not sandboxed). During install let it takeover "default mediaplayer" for all the dozens media types I wanted to view with it.
After that make VLC a "forced Program" in sandboxie. So whenever I click an media type where VLC is default it will open sandboxed.

Why I did it that way for me:
I want to autodelete my sandboxes on closing. (Which I couldn't when I would try to install the program inside the sandbox).

Maybe also take a look at Comparison: FreeOffice and SoftMaker Office Afaik the free version got no macro support. Which I consider a big plus for a normal homeuser.

Now that's a plan. If I make VLC a forced program, then it is secure even if I run a media file that is not located in a sandbox. Maybe that is what @Andyful had in mind before.

What would you do for pics, such as JPG files?

 

[Andy Ful]

Sorry for not being clear... Maybe I can best describe my goal by way of example.
I installed LibreOffice in the sandbox. Why? Because Microsoft 365 apps can't run in the sandbox, and I want to open Word docs inside the sandbox. Now that I installed LibreOffice inside the sandbox, I got what I wanted -- I click on a Word doc in the sandbox, and it opens.
I want to be able to do the same with a JPG file, or a MP3 or a MP4 -- click on it in the sandbox, and it opens.
A left-click, and then select an app every time from a context menu, is an imperfect solution in my case because it will frustrate beginners.

A regular SBIE user might be able to tell me what he or she does.

Understand. You cannot do such a thing for Apps from Microsoft Store, because you cannot install the App in the Sandboxie sandbox. Simply do the same for any desired desktop media application (install it in the Sandboxie sandbox). Then the media opened from this sandbox should open with left-click in the sandbox.

If you want to open the media in the sandbox also when the media file is outside the sandbox (like in the @Freki123 post), then install the desktop media application and force it to run in the Sandboxie sandbox.

 

[Andy Ful]

Now that's a plan. If I make VLC a forced program, then it is secure even if I run a media file that is not located in a sandbox. Maybe that is what @Andyful had in mind before.

What would you do for pics, such as JPG files?

Yes.
Install the desktop picture-viewer and force it to run in Sandboxie sandbox.

Of course, I do not see the reason for that if you are satisfied with the picture-viewer App which runs in AppContainer.

 

[Freki123]

@shmu26 I don't really view pics so no suggestion from me here. Maybe try Andy's advise and see which of the two options he mentioned you like better.

 

[shmu26]

@shmu26 I don't really view pics so no suggestion from me here. Maybe try Andy's advise and see which of the two options he mentioned you like better.

Hopefully Andy's way will reassociate the file types for the sandbox, and if so, good!