Sandbox & Virtualization

The answer explains that the Hyper-V Default Switch is an internal switch that uses NAT automatically and cannot be modified. If your VMs need a different connection type, create an External virtual switch and attach them to it.

Shows how to enable Hyper-V on Windows 10/11 Pro or Enterprise (Control Panel, PowerShell or DISM) and how to add the role on Windows Server via Server Manager or PowerShell. Hyper-V cannot be installed on Home editions, and other hypervisors such as VirtualBox or VMware may misbehave while it is running.

Lists the requirements for Windows Sandbox (virtualization enabled, 4 GB RAM minimum, two cores) and how to turn it on from Windows Features or PowerShell. If the option is greyed out, the machine does not meet the requirements; inside a VM you must enable nested virtualization on the host.

The official starting point for Windows Subsystem for Linux: one command installs the needed features and Ubuntu, and new installs default to WSL 2. It also covers choosing another distro, checking and switching WSL versions, and what to try if the install hangs.

Explains the two config files: .wslconfig in your Windows profile for global WSL 2 VM limits (memory, CPUs, swap, networking mode) and /etc/wsl.conf inside each distro (automount, systemd, default user). Changes only apply after WSL fully stops, so run wsl --shutdown and wait a few seconds.

Explains the three virtual switch types (external, internal, private) and how to create one in Hyper-V Manager or with New-VMSwitch. It also covers sharing the host adapter with the management OS, VLAN IDs, and a NAT option for Windows clients; creating an external switch can briefly interrupt the host's network connection.

Describes Dev Drive, a ReFS-based volume tuned for source code, package caches and build output, and how to create one in Settings or with Format-Volume. Gotchas listed on the page: it needs at least 50 GB, an existing volume cannot be converted, Defender runs in a faster performance mode on trusted drives, and WSL files on a Dev Drive get no speed benefit.

Microsoft's long reference of common WSL errors and fixes, organised by symptom, including installation problems and how to uninstall the legacy version. Search it by error code before trying random fixes.

Documents the XML .wsb configuration file: vGPU, networking, mapped folders, logon command, audio and video input, clipboard, printer redirection and memory. Warns that networking is on by default and that read/write mapped folders can be damaged by whatever you run in the sandbox, so use read-only mapping and disable networking for untrusted files.

Troubleshooting answer for a Windows Sandbox that will not enable or start. It checks that virtualization shows Enabled in Task Manager, restarts Container Manager Services and the Hyper-V related services, and as a last resort reinstalls the feature after clearing the stale Sandboxes and Zygotes folders. The reinstall workaround involves temporarily turning off Defender protections, so re-enable them afterwards.