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Create a custom Windows Sandbox configuration by writing supported settings in an XML file with a <Configuration> root, saving it with a .wsb extension, and opening the file. You can use it to disable networking, map a host folder, or run a command when Sandbox starts. Microsoft’s configuration reference applies to Windows 10 and Windows 11, though individual settings can have narrower version and policy requirements.

Create and open a .wsb file

  1. Open Notepad or another plain-text editor.

  2. Enter the basic XML structure:

    <Configuration>
    </Configuration>
  3. Add the settings you want between the opening and closing <Configuration> tags. Use only settings supported by Microsoft’s Windows Sandbox configuration reference.

  4. Save the file with a .wsb extension, such as MyConfigFile.wsb. In Notepad’s Save As dialog, enclose the filename in quotation marks—"MyConfigFile.wsb"—to preserve the extension.

  5. Double-click the saved .wsb file to launch Windows Sandbox with those settings.

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Choose settings for the task

Windows Sandbox configurations can specify virtual GPU, networking, mapped folders, a startup logon command, audio and video input, protected client, printer and clipboard redirection, and memory in MB. The window size is not configurable in the current reference. Check Microsoft’s reference for the supported values and XML structure for each setting.

Networking

Networking is enabled by default. Disabling it can reduce the sandbox’s exposure to the host’s internal network, which is useful when testing software that does not need internet or network access. Enabling networking can expose untrusted applications to the internal network. Microsoft describes the virtual-switch and virtual-NIC behavior and security considerations in its Windows Sandbox overview.

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<Configuration>
  <Networking>Disable</Networking>
</Configuration>

Virtual GPU

The <VGpu> setting accepts Enable, Disable, or Default; Microsoft’s reference says the current default is enabled. Disabling vGPU switches to software rendering (WARP), which can be slower. Microsoft also cautions that enabling virtualized GPU can potentially increase the attack surface.

<Configuration>
  <VGpu>Disable</VGpu>
</Configuration>

Mapped folders

Use <MappedFolders> and <MappedFolder> to share a host folder with the sandbox. Set <HostFolder> to an existing absolute path; relative paths are unsupported. You can optionally specify <SandboxFolder> for the destination and <ReadOnly> as true or false. If you omit the sandbox destination, the folder maps to the container user’s desktop. Read-only defaults to false.

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A mapped folder is a bridge to host data, not an isolated copy: apps in the sandbox can compromise files and folders made available through it, and writes to a writable mapping persist after the sandbox closes. Share only the specific host data needed, and prefer read-only access when possible.

<Configuration>
  <MappedFolders>
    <MappedFolder>
      <HostFolder>C:UsersPublicDownloads</HostFolder>
      <SandboxFolder>C:temp</SandboxFolder>
      <ReadOnly>true</ReadOnly>
    </MappedFolder>
  </MappedFolders>
</Configuration>

Logon command

<LogonCommand> runs after Sandbox signs in, under the container user account. For a simple action, put the command in <Command>. For multi-step startup work, use a script and invoke it with the logon command. Mapped folders are available before the command runs, so a script can be placed in a mapped folder and started at sign-in.

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<Configuration>
  <LogonCommand>
    <Command>explorer.exe C:temp</Command>
  </LogonCommand>
</Configuration>
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Example: open Downloads read-only with networking off

This Microsoft example disables vGPU and networking, maps the public Downloads folder read-only to C:temp, and opens that folder in Explorer when Sandbox starts:

<Configuration>
  <VGpu>Disable</VGpu>
  <Networking>Disable</Networking>
  <MappedFolders>
    <MappedFolder>
      <HostFolder>C:UsersPublicDownloads</HostFolder>
      <SandboxFolder>C:temp</SandboxFolder>
      <ReadOnly>true</ReadOnly>
    </MappedFolder>
  </MappedFolders>
  <LogonCommand>
    <Command>explorer.exe C:temp</Command>
  </LogonCommand>
</Configuration>

This configuration limits access to the shared folder and disables networking, but it does not guarantee that every file is safe. The example is documented by Microsoft in its sample configuration.

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Check Windows version and organization policy

The main configuration and sample references cover Windows 10 and Windows 11, but feature support varies. For example, environment variables in mapped paths are supported beginning with Windows 11 version 23H2. Microsoft’s policy documentation lists mapped-folder controls for Windows 11 version 24H2 and later on Pro, Enterprise, Education, and IoT Enterprise editions; it also lists networking and vGPU policies for specified Windows 10 and Windows 11 releases. An organization’s policy can prevent a setting from working even when the XML is valid. Review the applicable Windows Sandbox security policy documentation if a setting is unavailable or ignored.

Use the command line for automation

For automation rather than a reusable file, Microsoft documents starting a sandbox with inline configuration using wsb start --config "<Configuration>...</Configuration>". The command-line reference also covers listing sandbox sessions and executing commands in a session. For a configuration you plan to reuse, saving a .wsb file remains the straightforward workflow. See Microsoft’s Windows Sandbox command-line documentation.

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