Anyone familiar with this?

[Trouble]

Apparently it is a partition that is put in place and reserved when you enable / install Windows Sandbox.

C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Containers\BaseImages\b46985dc-ee2a-4164-a847-42d30b616564\BaseLayer.vhdx
Just happened to notice it recently.

 

[Regedit32]

In my efforts to catch up on Windows improvements over the last year, I'm pretty sure I saw something about that on Microsoft's TechNet site. If you have not already done so, you could probably get more information about it there.

I'm curious though how that will affect owners of those Microsoft computers with limited Gigs - e.g. a 32GB storage.

Also, if you are have a reserved partition created, will that mean you'll need to do an in-place upgrade to clear that new partition. If that is the case, that could become very annoying.

What happens if you disable Sandbox, does that partition kindly bugger off?

 

[Trouble]

What happens if you disable Sandbox, does that partition kindly bugger off?

Good question. I'll have to experiment a bit later. To tell you the truth, I just noticed it recently and had to search to see what the heck it was.

My primary concern is that since that location / path / partition, even when Sandbox is not currently running, is....
What is kept there. Supposedly when you close Windows Sandbox it resets everything and nothing is kept.
There's even a SnapShot folder with another vhdx in that, which most of us who use another form of virtualization know that you create snapshots to protect against problems.

 

[Trouble]

OK.....
Testing complete.
Uninstalling Windows Sandbox, removes the partition from Disk Management, but.......
In the path specified above the "BaseLayer.vhdx" AND the snapshot "SnapshotSandbox.vhdx" remain.

 

[clifford_cooley]

So the drive designation disappears but the vhdx file for the drive remains?

 

[Trouble]

So the drive designation disappears but the vhdx file for the drive remains?

Yes, that is correct, in fact there are multiple folders in that
C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Containers folder which seem to be related to the whole Windows Sandbox experience.
I just deleted everything in there and I'll do some further experimenting later after a couple reboots to see what gets regenerated.

 

[Regedit32]

Just a paranoid thought,

If the .vhdx file is being preserved you may want to verify its not being persistently preserved inside One Drive too.

 

[Trouble]

Good thought, although I'm very careful (some might say paranoid) about what I include in my OneDrive Folder to subsequently be uploaded to the cloud service.
I only use less that 32 gigs of my 1.04 TBs allotment and those are mostly images and music.

 

[bassfisher6522]

How often do you use it? I don't have it and from I've been reading I don't really need it.

 

[Trouble]

Truthfully..... not often. I began using it just to test it on the insider previews, now I just use it to test anything sketchy I might be doing.
Registry edits, some programs that I just want to test to see if they're worth actually taking a better look at, a link or two that I might have concerns about, that sort of thing.

 

[Regedit32]

The last time I recalling using sandbox was when I was in Kindergarten

Tip: Sand pies really taste bad.

 

[ClippyBeer]

I see that you have your apps and data on a separate partition than the OS. Same here. Makes life so much easier when backing up and restore from images.

 

[brian_mk]

I've not tried using Windows Sandbox.
I have used the free 'Sandboxie' that pre-dates it.
Sandboxie works very well.
It's great if you want to try installing some software without screwing up your Windows registry.