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How to Fix Windows Sandbox Won't Start on Windows

Windows Sandbox failing to start, showing initialization errors, or grayed out? Fix Sandbox launch failures including virtualization and Hyper-V issues.

Symptoms

You might be experiencing this problem if you notice:

  • •Windows Sandbox fails with "Windows Sandbox failed to start"
  • •Sandbox option grayed out in Start menu
  • •"Hypervisor not found" error when launching Sandbox
  • •Sandbox starts but immediately closes
  • •"Windows Sandbox failed to initialize" error
  • •Sandbox was working but stopped after a Windows Update

Common Causes

  • ⚠Virtualization (VT-x/AMD-V) disabled in BIOS
  • ⚠Hyper-V or Windows Hypervisor Platform not enabled
  • ⚠Windows Sandbox feature not installed
  • ⚠Conflicting virtualization software (VirtualBox, VMware)
  • ⚠Windows Home edition (Sandbox requires Pro/Enterprise)
  • ⚠Corrupted Sandbox container files

Solutions

Solution 1: Enable Required Windows Features

  1. 1Open "Turn Windows features on or off" from Start
  2. 2Enable: "Windows Sandbox"
  3. 3Enable: "Virtual Machine Platform"
  4. 4Enable: "Windows Hypervisor Platform"
  5. 5Click OK and restart your computer
  6. 6If Windows Sandbox is missing from the list: you may be on Windows Home (requires Pro)

Solution 2: Enable Virtualization in BIOS

  1. 1Restart and enter BIOS (F2/Del/Esc at boot)
  2. 2Find virtualization setting: "Intel VT-x", "AMD-V", "SVM Mode", or "Virtualization Technology"
  3. 3Set to Enabled
  4. 4Save and exit BIOS
  5. 5Verify in Task Manager > Performance > CPU: "Virtualization: Enabled"
  6. 6Sandbox requires hardware virtualization to create isolated containers

Solution 3: Reset Sandbox Configuration

  1. 1If Sandbox was working before: the container may be corrupted
  2. 2Open PowerShell as Admin
  3. 3Run: Get-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName "Containers-DisposableClientVM"
  4. 4If Enabled: disable it, restart, re-enable it, restart again
  5. 5This rebuilds the Sandbox container from scratch
  6. 6Also check if VirtualBox or VMware is conflicting — try disabling them temporarily
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