For ordinary users, Sandboxie seems to be difficult to use software. Many users do not even understand what is at stake. And the settings may even seem intimidating. This article details Sandboxie. Also, thanks to the material presented, you will learn how to start and use it.
What is it about?
Sandboxie - what is this program? In fact, it is a unique sandbox-based security product. In simple terms, a sandbox is an isolated environment for running programs. The environment will be exactly the same as the real system, with the only difference being that it is isolated from it. This method is also used in other programs, such as Google Chrome, and some antivirus programs. Inside the sandbox, programs will work fine, as well as outside of it. But no matter what changes are made, they will remain in the sandbox, and the real system will not be affected by these changes.
How to use Sandboxie? Suppose a person uses a web browser in a sandbox. Everything will happen as usual, it can follow links, visit websites, upload files, etc. But all this will happen in an isolated environment. Therefore, even if he visits a malicious website, clicks on a link infected with a virus, or even downloads a file of this kind, the real system will not suffer.
Now suppose that while surfing inside Sandboxie a user clicks on a virus link and sees signs of malware infection, or an antivirus alerts him about it. All that needs to be done in this case is to delete the contents of the sandbox. That's all. The malware will disappear and the system will remain safe because the virus could not exit Sandboxie. Nothing can get out of the sandbox environment until the user allows it.
Program benefits
Sandboxie makes surfing the web truly secure. The user can always be calm and confident that no malware can infect his system. In addition, while surfing, various temporary files, cookies, cache, etc. are not created or downloaded to the computer. All of the above remains inside the sandbox and can be easily cleaned by deleting the contents from it, without worrying about where to look for this garbage on the computer. Just one click to delete the contents of the sandbox, and everything disappeared.
The biggest advantage is peace of mind and guaranteed security, which provides excellent protection for this program. Even if a user encounters malware inside Sandboxie, he will not need to panic, because he can be sure that such software will not be able to break into the real system. Removing sandbox content is all it takes to get rid of any virus content.
Using software
The main use of Sandboxie is for web surfing, where it isolates the browser, and the system remains protected from various malicious programs. Which is very convenient, as many users note.
But since the program offers an isolated environment, you can use Sandboxie both for surfing and for testing software. The software will run in the sandbox, and changes made during installation or its launch will not affect the system. If the user does not like the software, or if it is malicious, all that needs to be done is to delete the contents of the sandbox. No changes will be made to the real system. If the software is safe to use, you can install it on a real system by downloading it from the sandbox.
Installing software in Sandboxie also helps you find out what files and folders the program installs on the system. Files and folders will be created in the sandbox, and they can be seen and studied from within the program itself. If a user searches for these specific files and folders in his operating system, he will not be able to find them because they simply are not there. They are located in the isolated space of the sandbox, which shows that changes made inside the program do not affect the real system.
Program installation
Sandboxie installation is quite simple and straightforward. You just need to run the program download file and follow the instructions. After installing the program, the "Software Compatibility" window usually appears, showing a list of software for which the sandbox has made compatibility changes. This is just for information. Finally, a very short interactive guide to using the program will be shown.
After the installation is complete, Sandboxie will also place a shortcut named Sandboxed Web Browser on the desktop, which, when clicked, launches the system’s default web browser inside the program. However, if you use a different browser for everyday work, a shortcut for it can also be created very easily.
How to use Sandboxie
When the program is installed and running, it will show a window. It's called Sandboxie Management, as shown in the image below. This is the main program window. If no programs are running in Sandboxie, the window will simply show a yellow icon with the name Sandbox Defaultbox.
When the program starts, a list of programs and processes currently running inside the sandbox will be shown in the main window, and the icon will change to yellow with red dots.
The Sandboxie icon on the taskbar will also change to yellow with red dots. And the user becomes aware that the sandbox is working.
How do I know if a program is running in Sandboxie or not? Suppose a sandbox uses a web browser. If you hover over the top of the web browser (that is, the title bar), you can see a yellow frame around the edges, as shown in the figure below. You can also see the [#] sign on either side of the program name in the title bar at the top or in the taskbar.
These are ways to find out and confirm that the web browser is working in the sandbox, because otherwise it will simply assume that the web browser is working fine. The user will not notice the difference at all, that’s how convenient and unobtrusive the Sandboxie program is.
The yellow sandbox control icon on the taskbar can be used to perform several operations, which can also be performed from the main program window. Right-clicking on the Sandboxie tray icon shows the various operations that you can perform.
As you can see from the image, you can launch the default web browser, mail client or any other program that the user needs in the sandbox. You can shut down programs, delete sandbox contents, or access quick recovery folders.
The main window of the program can be easily accessed either by double-clicking on the corresponding tray icon, or by right-clicking it and selecting "Show window".
By default, the main Sandboxie window is in Programs mode, which means that it will display a list of programs and processes running inside Sandboxie. To view the files and folders created in the sandbox, you can switch the mode by clicking View -> Files and folders in the menu.
Now that it’s become clear how to start Sandboxie, you should consider options for using the program.
Using the program for games
This is a program that can also be used to duplicate samp and open two GTA accounts on the same computer at the same time.
How to use Sandboxie in SAMP:
- Right-click on the game’s shortcut and select the “Run in Sandbox” command.
- When the game started, you can minimize it and open a second screen, but in a standard way.
- Thus, the user has two copies of the game open, and you can log into 2 accounts. You can switch between them using the Alt + Tab keys.
Launch more than two windows. Features
Now you should consider how to run more than 2 windows in Sandboxie. To do this, create new sandboxes in which you can open the necessary programs. To do this in the free version of the program will not work. After creating a new sandbox, trying to open a new window in it, the program displays a warning of the following form.
In order to be able to open more than two windows in the sandbox, you must purchase the full paid version.
Program completion
Separate programs running inside Sandboxie may be closed as usual. But this can also be done simultaneously with a few clicks:
- Right-click on the icon in the sandboxes and select "End Program".
- A warning appears that this action will not save the state or data of these programs.
- Click Yes, if you are sure, and all programs inside the sandbox will be closed.
This is especially useful if the user encounters malware while running programs inside the sandbox. In such situations, one should not forget to delete the contents of the Sandbox after the programs are finished, which will eliminate any malware inside the system. In addition, simply deleting Sandboxie content will also shut down programs and immediately empty the sandbox.
Programs can also be closed from the main Sandboxie window by clicking on the menu: Sandbox -> DefaultBox -> Closing Programs. Everything is simple!
Running Programs in Sandboxie
Another important point. This is the launch of programs in the sandbox. Without it, understanding how to use Sandboxie would not be complete. It is very simple and can be done in several ways:
- The easiest way is to right-click the icon or shortcut of any program that you want to run. Then select "Run in the sandbox" from the context menu.
- Another option is how to run the program in Sandboxie. It was discussed a little earlier. You need to right-click the icon of the control on the taskbar, select DefaultBox and the appropriate option to start the desired program.
- Another, albeit more complicated, method is to open the main program window and click “Sandbox” -> “DefaultBox” -> “Launch Sandbox” in the menu, and then select the appropriate option.
Create shortcuts for sandboxed programs
Creating a shortcut for an isolated program is also quite simple. Just follow these steps:
- In the main Sandboxie window, select “Configure” from the menu.
- Click on "Integration in Windows Explorer."
- A window will appear showing the various program settings in different blocks.
- Under the block called “Shortcuts”, click on the “Add Shortcut” button.
- A window will appear with a brief description of what this action does and how to create a shortcut. Click OK.
- Another window will appear with the name “Run in the sandbox” showing DefaultBox, in the box under it - click OK.
- A menu list appears, similar to the Start menu list, from which you can select the program for which you want to create a shortcut.
That's all, a shortcut for an isolated program will be created on the desktop. Now, if the user double-clicks on this shortcut, the corresponding program starts automatically in Sandboxie.
Conclusion
The article examined what Sandboxie is and how to use the program, but it should be understood that it is not a replacement for security software, such as an antivirus. Therefore, it is recommended to constantly update and fix the system, as well as install a good antivirus and constantly update it. Despite the fact that this program will provide the user with security when viewing programs inside it, it is still recommended to adhere to good and safe methods of surfing and make this part of your habit.