How to run Windows programs in a safe environment using Sandboxie
July 25th, 2007 by Ross McKillop |
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In a nutshell, Sandboxie allows you to run Windows programs in a “safe” environment, called a sandbox. This tutorial will show you how to set up and use Sandboxie.
First, visit sandboxie.com to download Sandboxie. Their home page also gives a more detailed explanation of exactly what Sandboxie does if you’re a bit confused. For even more details, review the Sandboxie FAQs. Sandboxie is a free program, but to use some of the advanced features you’ll need to register it - which costs $25 USD (for a life-time registration key that covers all future versions).
- Towards the end of your Sandboxie installation you’ll be prompted to install and activate the Sandbox system-level driver. Carefully review the info on how to boot into safe mode in case something goes wrong at this point. I’ve used this program on several different machines and it has never caused a problem, but the disclaimer is there for a reason.. Click Next to install the driver.
- Assuming all went well, click Finish.
- When Sandboxie is opened for the first time, a welcome screen will pop up explaining the concept of sandboxing. Click Learn More (or just close the window and skip down to step 5).
- A few of the benefits of using Sandboxie are explained. Click OK when you’re done reading them.
- Click OK.
- And you’ll be presented with the Sandboxie Control window. It will empty at this point as you have nothing running in a sandbox, yet.
- The easiest way to launch a program in the sandbox environment is to just select Function from the Sandboxie menu, then Run Sandboxed -> Internet Explorer (as an example).
- The Sandboxie Control window will display iexplore.exe and all of the programs that run when IE does (as well as two Sandboxie programs).
- You can identify a program that’s running in a sandboxed environment by its name in the Taskbar. The name will begin with [#].
- The sandboxed program itself will also display [#] before and after its name in the title bar.
- The Sandboxie system tray icon will display small red dots in it if there are programs currently being run in a sandboxed environment.
- If while using a sandboxed browser you visit a web page that contains a link that launches an external program, that program will also be run in the sandboxed environment.
In the example below, I opened a web page that contained an audio file. When I clicked the audio file it opened in Winamp. Notice that winamp.exe is now running in the sandboxed environment.
- If you save a file from the Internet using a sandboxed browser, that file will also be saved in the sandbox environment (notice the [#] before and after Save As in the dialog box).
- If you search your drive for the file you just downloaded, it will only show up in the sandboxed version of your “hard drive”.
- If you close the applications that have been opened in a sandbox, the Sandboxie Control will no longer show them as running. If you want to quit everything that’s running in a sandbox, select Function -> Terminate Sandboxed Processes -> In Current Sandbox.
- You’ll be prompted with a warning. Click Yes to close everything.
- The Sandboxie Control window will empty.
- One feature of the free version of Sandboxie is that it creates a desktop shortcut to auto-launch your browser in a sandbox. Purchasing Sandboxie allows you to customize programs so that they’re always launched in a sandbox - the unregistered version does not.
