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

Anonymous
2023-10-16T22:33:15+00:00

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

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Performance and system failures

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Anonymous
2023-11-06T19:15:28+00:00

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

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-11-14T10:42:03+00:00

    Honestly, I have never found a normal answer on Win forum, always just templates like "restart your PC, /scannow, etc".

    Your answer has no bullsh*t and actually works, thank you for it <3

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    4 people found this answer helpful.
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  2. Anonymous
    2023-11-03T20:04:10+00:00

    I downloaded the ISO-image of Windows 11 23H2, reinstalled the system while preserving programs and settings.
    Then I updated Windows 11, and now the version is 22631.2506.
    I'm not sure what Microsoft adjusted, but now the Sandbox is functioning properly.
    It opens Explorer and the context menu...

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-10-27T20:07:19+00:00

    I have the same issue. When using Windows Sandbox, Explorer crashes.
    Windows 11, 22621.2506....

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    3 people found this answer helpful.
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  4. Anonymous
    2023-10-31T12:06:32+00:00

    More and more people are reporting the same issue, on different PC configurations and with different built versions, and everybody started having it after some of the latest Windows updates. It's clearly a bug that slipped in the updates and that can't be fixed by the usual debugging and recovery tools. I believe only Microsoft can solve it.

    Is there a way to report a bug to Microsoft?

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