How to Fix Windows Sandbox Failed to Start or Won't Open on Windows
Windows Sandbox won't start, shows error, or closes immediately? "Windows Sandbox failed to start" or hypervisor not found? Fix Sandbox launch issues.
Symptoms
You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:
- •"Windows Sandbox failed to start" error on launch
- •Sandbox window opens then immediately closes
- •Error: "Hypervisor is not present" when starting Sandbox
- •Sandbox grayed out in Start menu
- •Error about virtualization not enabled
- •Sandbox worked before but stopped after Windows Update
Common Causes
- ⚠Virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) not enabled in BIOS
- ⚠Hyper-V or Windows Hypervisor Platform not enabled
- ⚠Windows Sandbox feature not installed
- ⚠Sandbox service corrupted after Windows Update
- ⚠Insufficient RAM or disk space for Sandbox VM
- ⚠Third-party virtualization software conflicting (VMware, VirtualBox)
Solutions
Solution 1: Enable Required Windows Features
- 1Control Panel → Programs → "Turn Windows features on or off"
- 2Ensure these are ALL checked:
- 3☑ Windows Sandbox
- 4☑ Hyper-V (or Windows Hypervisor Platform)
- 5☑ Virtual Machine Platform
- 6Click OK → restart PC
- 7If Windows Sandbox is grayed out: your Windows edition may not support it
- 8Sandbox requires Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education
Solution 2: Enable Virtualization in BIOS
- 1Restart PC → enter BIOS (F2, Del, or F10 during boot)
- 2Find virtualization settings (varies by manufacturer):
- 3Intel: "Intel Virtualization Technology (VT-x)" → Enabled
- 4AMD: "SVM Mode" or "AMD-V" → Enabled
- 5Save and exit BIOS
- 6Verify in Windows: Task Manager → Performance → CPU
- 7Should show "Virtualization: Enabled"
- 8If already enabled: try disabling and re-enabling it
Solution 3: Reset Sandbox Components
- 1If Sandbox was working before:
- 2CMD as Admin:
- 3DISM /Online /Disable-Feature /FeatureName:Containers-DisposableClientVM
- 4Restart PC
- 5DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:Containers-DisposableClientVM
- 6Restart PC again
- 7For third-party VM conflicts:
- 8Temporarily uninstall VMware/VirtualBox → test Sandbox
- 9If Sandbox works: reinstall VM software (they can usually coexist)
- 10Ensure at least 4GB RAM and 1GB free disk space
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