14 DAY TRIAL // Windows Sandbox is a feature bundled with Windows 10 version 1903 and newer, and it allows users to run a separate instance of the operating system that makes it possible to test apps and services securely.
More like a virtual machine that comes with Windows 10, the separate OS instance runs in a sandbox, and not only that all system files are protected, but all changes are automatically reset when the application is closed.
Needless to say, Windows Sandbox addresses so many users’ need of a secure testing environment and makes deploying apps like VirtualBox and others fairly unnecessary.
But as it sometimes happens in the Windows world, there are things that occasional break down, and this time, it’s Windows Sandbox’s turn to hit this problem. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix for users encountering this, so read on to find out everything about this latest bug in the Windows world.
According to Microsoft itself, there’s now a launch error that affects both Windows Sandbox and Windows Defender Application Guard, or WDAG. In other words, if you try to run any of these two, you end up with an error preventing you from using them.
The issue happens on the following Windows 10 versions (keep in mind that Windows Sandbox debuted in Windows 10 version 1903, so any versions of the operating system that are older than this won’t come with the feature built-in):
- Windows 10 Pro, version 1903
- Windows 10 Enterprise, version 1903
- Windows 10 Pro, version 1909
- Windows 10 Enterprise, version 1909
- Windows 10 Pro, version 2004
- Windows 10 Enterprise, version 2004
Worth noting is that the issue is also experienced on Windows 10 version 2004, which is the most recent feature update that Microsoft rolled out it. This version is currently being made available to users in stages, but part of those who have already received the update might thus be unable to run Windows Sandbox or WDAG.
And the error that you might experience, as explained by Microsoft in a support document spotted by TechDows, reads the following:
ERROR_VSMB_SAVED_STATE_FILE_NOT_FOUND (0xC0370400)" or "E_PATHNOTFOUND (0x80070003)
There’s just one workaround available right now, according to Microsoft, and it’s actually much simpler than you’d expect it to be. And all you have to do is reboot the computer.
“To mitigate this issue after receiving one of the above error messages, you will need to restart your device,” Microsoft says.
As for a full fix, the software giant explains that it’s already working on it, and this one should be part of an upcoming update. At this point, however, no specifics have been provided on the ETA s to when the patch could go live for users.
Worth noting, however, is that the next Patch Tuesday cycle takes place on August 11 – this is the date when Microsoft will release new cumulative updates for all Windows 10 versions, and in addition to security fixes, the company also typically resolves some non-security problems too. Right now, however, we don’t have a confirmation that the August Patch Tuesday is supposed to resolve this problem.
Windows Sandbox is only available on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise SKUs, so if you’re running the Home version, the feature isn’t there. Users also need to enable it manually on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise from the optional features screen in the operating system.
However, users can also manually enable Windows Sandbox in Windows 10 Home too using a custom batch file that needs to run on a device running at least version 1903.