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I am running Windows 10 Pro x64 Version 2004 build 19041.630 on an Intel Core i7 laptop ASUS N552VW. A month or more ago I activated Windows SandBox in the Windows Features dialog and successfully used this native Windows virtual machine inside my OS for testing.

Today, I could not find Windows SandBox in the Start menu to launch it. It magically disappeared though all prerequisites required to launch it are ok (described on the same overview page). I tried to turn this feature off and then on again, but this didn't help. Enabled Hyper-V in my OS in the same Windows Features dialog, but this also didn't help. Does anybody know why Windows SandBox may disappear and how to restore it?

TecMan
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  • I almost missed you solution because there was no answer. You should add your update as an answer, even though it's not a complete answer, because this work around works fine. – MagTun Mar 08 '21 at 15:51

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I agree with TecMan I was having the same issue, I was sure I had all the requirements but I still could not find the sandbox until I tried running it using:

Windows-key + R then WindowsSandbox.exe

The full address should be:

%windir%\system32\WindowsSandbox.exe
Echo9k
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  • Can you add it to the Start menu using this method? – Charles Kenyon Apr 04 '21 at 14:15
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    After you run it it should show on the start menu, then you can pin it. You can also do it manually. Create the shortcut on your desktop and then [move it to the start menu programs directory](https://www.windowscentral.com/add-app-shortcuts-start-menu-manually-windows-10) `%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Start Menu\Programs` – Echo9k Apr 04 '21 at 23:21
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I found WindowsSandbox.exe in C:\Windows\System32\ using file search. I can launch it, and it works. Actually Windows SandBox is missing only from Start Menu.

TecMan
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Just in case Windows Home users open this thread, know that Windows Sandbox cannot be run on the Home edition. However, all you have to do is install a Virtual Machine (VM) program, then you can snapshot your entire environment and return to it at any time after an experiment, even after you get a virus. However, any system changes you have made deliberately will be lost, because they were made in a simulated environment, similar to Windows Sandbox, which always starts empty. There are many such programs, Virtual Box being perhaps the simplest/easiest and VMWare being quite popular. There are YouTube videos showing how to install and use VMs.

David Spector
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