Sandbox activation

Question

Im unable to see the option for activate sandbox for many modules, Im trying this for quite some days. Still not appearing. Please help me on this.

Answer 1

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-gb/training/support/faq?pivots=sandbox#are-sandboxes-still-available

Are sandboxes still available? Sandboxes are no longer available. To complete exercises in training modules, you'll need access to an Azure subscription. If you don't have one yet, you can sign up for a free 30-day Azure trial or a pay-as-you-go subscription.

Answer 2

In Azure training and sandbox scenarios, “Activate sandbox” or similar options only appear when all required prerequisites are met and the environment has been deployed or provisioned correctly. From the provided information, there are two common patterns:

1. Azure Sandbox (for hands-on environments)
   • A sandbox environment requires:
     • A Microsoft Entra ID tenant
     • An Azure subscription
     • Appropriate Azure RBAC role assignments
     • A service principal
     • A Terraform execution environment
   • The sandbox is deployed from the AzureSandbox GitHub repository. Until the sandbox is actually deployed and the user has the correct role assignments on the subscription, sandbox-related actions will not appear.
   • If the “Activate sandbox” option is missing for modules that rely on this environment, verify:
     • The sandbox subscription exists and is deployed.
     • The account has sufficient permissions (for example, Contributor or higher on the sandbox subscription, as guided by Azure RBAC).
     • The correct tenant and subscription are selected in the Azure portal.
2. Microsoft 365 Developer sandbox subscription
   • For Microsoft 365 developer sandboxes, the subscription must first be successfully created and provisioned.
   • After creation, backend services (SharePoint, Exchange, etc.) can take up to an hour to finish provisioning; during this time, some options and apps show as “Setting up”.
   • Multifactor authentication should be configured on the admin account used for the sandbox, and the subscription must be active and not expired.
   • If eligibility or activation is delayed (for example, for Partner benefits), it can take several days for backend eligibility sync to complete before the sandbox subscription becomes available.

Given that the “Activate sandbox” option is missing for many modules and has been for several days, the next steps are:

1. Confirm that the sandbox environment (Azure Sandbox or Microsoft 365 developer sandbox, depending on the training) has actually been provisioned and is active.
2. Ensure the signed-in account is the one that owns or has appropriate roles on the sandbox subscription.
3. If using AzureSandbox, verify that the deployment from the GitHub repository completed successfully and that the sandbox subscription is placed in the intended management group and is not decommissioned.
4. If using a Microsoft 365 developer sandbox, check the Developer Program dashboard to confirm the subscription is active and not expired.
5. If all prerequisites are met and the option still does not appear after waiting for provisioning/sync, raise a support ticket for the training platform or Azure support, as this typically indicates a backend eligibility or provisioning issue rather than a client-side problem.

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References:

• Azure Sandbox
• Set up a Microsoft 365 developer sandbox subscription