According to Microsoft, the process to enable Windows Defender Antivirus in a sandbox was difficult, but it was a necessary step to help in the unlikely event of a malware attacking the antivirus to limit the attack to the sandbox, protecting the rest of the system and your data. The company plans to start enabling the sandbox feature for its antivirus by default in future releases of Windows 10, but you can force the new security feature now using a simple command. In this guide, you’ll learn the steps to start running Windows Defender Antivirus in a sandbox environment on Windows 10 version 1809 and earlier versions back to version 1703.
How to enable sandbox mode for Windows Defender Antivirus
If you want to run the Windows 10 default antivirus using the sandbox feature to keep activities isolated from the rest of the operating system, do the following: Once you’ve completed the steps, Windows Defender Antivirus will start running in a more secure sandbox environment. Command to enable Defender sandbox environment At any time, you can disable the sandbox mode for the antivirus using the same instructions, but on step No. 3, make sure to use this command instead: setx /M MP_FORCE_USE_SANDBOX 0 If you’re concern about the performance impact, Microsoft says that the it has designed the sandbox environment taking system resources in consideration, as such you shouldn’t see a significant degrade of system performance when enabling the feature. All content on this site is provided with no warranties, express or implied. Use any information at your own risk. Always backup of your device and files before making any changes. Privacy policy info.
