A sandbox in computing in layman terms puts a border around programs running in the sandbox so that they run isolated from the rest of the system. This protects the rest of the system if the sandboxed program is attacked or exploited. Sandboxing can be a very effective option when testing programs, running files where you are not sure if they are safe or adding that extra bit of protections to programs that connect to the Internet or a computer network.
The installation of Sandboxie is fast and completes without the need to restart the system. The program runs a compatibility check at the end of installation and displays programs it can improve compatibility with in a list.
The main program interface has not changed since our first review of the program in 2008. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, as it is highly functional. The program ships with a single sandbox but provides options to create new ones. It is not really necessary to configure multiple sandboxes as multiple programs can run in one. It does have benefits though. Each sandbox comes with its own set of rules to configure. Running programs in different sandboxes makes sure that they are isolated from each other as well as from the system.
Sandboxie can run virtually any program in its own virtual space: from web browsers and email clients to Microsoft Office applications and Windows Explorer.
Running applications in sandboxes has implications. Data saved by sandboxed programs for instance is only saved temporarily in the virtual space. Sandboxie does however offer comfortable options to deal with data that needs to be written to the local system (like program updates or downloads).
Lets take a web browser as an example. If you run Internet Explorer in a sandbox you cannot download files to your system. The download works as intended but when you close IE the files get closed as well. Sandboxie ships with a recovery feature that can move files out of the sandbox so that they are stored permanently on the system. This is an automatic process.
Another option to move files out of the sandbox is the quick recovery option which becomes available in the right-click context menu in the main application interface (not automatic).
Both programs scan folders like downloads, favorites or documents on the computer. Additional folders can be added to the configuration, for instance to include different download locations on the PC.
Sandboxie furthermore offers pre-set options for popular applications like email readers, web browsers or download managers. Here it is for instance possible to allow Firefox to save browsing sessions, enable Outlook to access the mailbox or to improve the use of dozens of additional applications.
The developer has added comfortable options to his application to make the program more convenient to use. Immediate recovery is one of those options but there are others, including options to force run applications in a sandboxed environment, and to configure files, Registry keys or hardware that is directly accessible by applications running in a particular sandbox.
It only takes a couple of clicks to run programs in the sandbox. Right-click a sandbox in the main program window and select run sandboxed. A selection menu is displayed with options to run the web browser, email client, any program, any program from the start menu or Windows Explorer in the selected sandbox. Programs can also be started directly from Windows Explorer. A right-click on the application offers to run it in a sandbox. That’s useful especially for downloaded files.
Applications running in the sandbox can be identified by the [#] in the application title, and by moving the mouse cursor over the title which displays a highlighted border around the application window.
Sandboxie Tips
New users who install Sandboxie for the first time need to think about the programs that they want to run in the virtual environment. Programs with Internet or network access, and downloaded programs are two core candidates.
You can test a program’s compatibility by running and testing it in the sandbox. If the program behaves like it should, you could add it to the list of applications that are forced to run in the sandbox whenever they are started on the system. This prevents that you have to remember to launch that software in the sandbox all the time.
Some programs, like email clients or web browsers, need special access to folders on the system for some of their functionality. This can be configured in the sandbox settings. Firefox for instance needs access to data stored in its profile folder, Outlook to the email program’s mailbox and uTorrent to the temporary and complete download directories.
Creating multiple sandboxes has several positive effects. First, it protects applications from each other. Second, it allows the user to run different configuration sets as each sandbox comes with its own set of preferences. This way you could run a program with a different set of rules than others.
You can not only force programs but also all files of a specific folder to run in a sandboxed environment. That’s useful for download folders, optical drives or removable hard drives and other folders where file names may change regularly.
You sometimes may need to run programs normally, for instance when a program update is available. The disable forced program toggle disables sandboxing for selected programs for a limited amount of time. Firefox users could use the toggle to apply updates to the browser or browser add-ons for instance.
Another interesting application is to run program installers in their own sandbox. You can install and use the program normally as long as the sandbox is up. Once you are done testing you can just shut down the sandbox and everything goes back to the way it was before the installation. That’s very handy if you are testing a lot of programs.
The Help Topics on the Sandboxie website offer a getting started tutorial, usage tips and advanced topics.
Sandboxie Video Review
Verdict
Sandboxie adds a whole new layer of protection to the system that runs nearly unnoticed in the background. While it is possible to run the program without configuration changes, it only plays out its real strength when those changes are made. Tech savvy users will love the sheer number of configuration options. Inexperienced users on the other hand may run into troubles during the configuration stage. It is nothing that they cannot overcome though, it just may take them a bit longer before they have configured their system the same way an experienced user would have.
Giveaway
We have ten Sandboxie licenses for this giveaway. You can win one by leaving a comment below. Let us know what you like most about the program. You can download the latest version of Sandboxie from the developer website. The program is compatible with all recent and not so recent versions of the Microsoft Windows operating system.
© Martin Brinkmann for gHacks Technology News | Latest Tech News, Software And Tutorials, 2011. | Permalink |
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