Microsoft Introduces New Feature for Running Applications in Isolation

Microsoft's coming 'Windows Sandbox' feature is a lightweight virtual machine that allow users to run potentially suspicious software in isolation. It could debut in Windows 10 19H1.

Microsoft officially took the wraps off a feature expected to come to Windows 10 19H1 early next year that it has rechristened as "Windows Sandbox." This feature, which will be part of Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise editions, creates "an isolated, temporary desktop environment" where users can run potentially suspicious software, officials said in a blog post on December 18, ZDnet reported.

Earlier this year, Microsoft was rumored to be readying a new security feature for Windows 10 that was called, at that time, "InPrivate Desktop." InPrivate Desktop got a mention in Microsoft's Insider Feedback Hub during a bug-bash q1uest in August. The codename for InPrivate Desktop was "Madrid."

In today's blog post about Windows Sandbox, Microsoft officials said the feature was available to users of Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise running Build 18301 or later. (Microsoft has not yet made available Build 18301 of Windows 10 to Insider testers, but could potentially do so later this week.) But later, the post said the feature could work with Windows 10 Pro or Enterprise Build 18292. The feature also requires AMD64 and virtualization capabilities enabled in BIOS, the post noted.

Windows Sandbox is a lightweight virtual machine that builds on the technologies used in Windows Containers, according to the post. Windows Sandbox makes use of a new technology Microsoft calls "integrated scheduler," which allows the host to decide when the sandbox runs.