Windows 11 Sandbox does not open File Explorer after a Windows update

Question

Hi all,

I have Windows 11 Pro with Sandbox enabled, it worked flawlessly. I didn't use it for a few months, and now the File Explorer inside the Sandbox is crashing.

If I open it from the start menu, or if I press the right button on the desktop or on a file or directory, it turns the screen black for a second or two, and then doesn't do anything (it probably crashes).

This behavior happens only inside the Sandbox (my system is working properly), and I didn't install or remove anything from the system, just did the proposed Windows updates (I now have version 10.2.22621 build 22621).

I can use the command line, and it appears that the file system is intact, I can create, read and write directories and files.

Sandbox is a limited environment, and everything I tried to understand what was going wrong failed. I tried several times to remove the sandbox and perform a clean installation, even manually deleting the image files, but that behavior didn't change.

Do you have any suggestion?

Thank you

Duccio

Answer 1

It is ultimately just a workaround, but it works for me:
Create a text file that you rename to sandbox.wsb afterwards.
The content of the file must contain the following:

<Configuration>
<MappedFolders>
<MappedFolder>
<HostFolder>C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe</HostFolder>
<SandboxFolder>C:\Windows\SystemApps\Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.CBS_8wekyb3d8bbwe</SandboxFolder>
<ReadOnly>true</ReadOnly>
</MappedFolder>
</MappedFolders>
</Configuration>

If I start the sandbox with this file, the Explorer also works.

Good luck

Answer 2

Mine also doing the same thing, I cant open File Explorer anymore in Windows Sandbox

Answer 3

From your name I guess you're Italian like me, and we probably received the update on the same day (17/10), at least that's when everything stopped working for me😅.
I think that it's an issue with the new Explorer and Windows Sandbox, I fear we can only wait for a fix...

The new explorer address bar changed a lot of things (that's why I disabled it), and SandBox might have issues with the OneDrive integration or another of the new "features", for me it crashes even if I right click the desktop:

Answer 4

I'm running Version 10.0.22631 Build 22631 and have the same issue. Was working fine last time I used it a couple of weeks ago but now cant open file explorer in sandbox even though the PC is running fine. Tried removing the sandbox feature and then readding it but it still doesn't work.

Answer 5

I'm having the exact same issue, did anyone find a way to fix it?