How to activate Windows Defender sandbox mode

Microsoft Windows is THE dominant computer operating system on this planet (as of typing this). One can attribute this dominance to strategic partnerships, steering away from proprietary standards and the easy with which the OS interfaces with other hardware. Windows 10, the latest and the greatest, so far, from the Microsoft stable shakes things up in-terms of what windows user had come to expect from it. Right from how users log on, to how the OS receives updates and the security, everything has been done and redone. With Windows 10, Microsoft has made forays into the AntiVirus domain too. Windows defender under windows 10 is nothing like before, it has transformed into a complete AntiVirus suite.

Antivirus software run with the highest possible privileges on the computer. This naturally makes them a prime target to malicious attackers. Sandboxing ensures that Windows defenders remains separated from rest of the execution environment where even if an attacker succeeds in executing malicious code, it is isolated and cannot harm the system.

With in the October update to Windows, Microsoft introduced sandboxing feature to windows defender which makes it one of the most secure antiviruses  out there in the market. So basically Windows 10 ships with a top of the line antivirus built into it, and this is how you activate it.

How to Activate the Windows 10 Sandbox Environment

Pay  attention if you are running Windows 10 v1703 and over (if you aren't, well update your PC!). Follow the steps bellow:

1. Ctrl+Shift+Esc for opening the task manager
2. Click on File Menu > Run new task
3. Click on “Create this task with administrative privileges” or keep the Ctrl key pressed when you click on the “Run new task.
4. Type the command “cmd” and hit enter
5. You are now in administrative or ”elevated” command prompt

Now that you have access to the administrative command prompt, type the command “setx /M MP_FORCE_USE_SANDBOX 1” and execute (hit enter)

Now, like any other windows system, restart the computer.

On restart, Install and open Process explorer

There, if you see “MsMpEngCP.exe”, congratulations, you have successfully activated sandbox instance for Windows defender. Just in case you don’t see the process, repeat the process once again.

Enjoy a much safer Windows 10 experience

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