sandbox interest: is it what i think it is?

hello and thanks for your time

i research downloadable products i'm interested in but most don't give enuf detail as to how they operate and more importantly, whether they will, when downloaded, do for me what i want!

I've downloaded a number of programs that I've since uninstalled, yet fragments still reside on my computer.

if i understand it correctly, sandbox [when installed on a computer] allows for the user to download programs to an 'enclosed' environment, which allows the user to then run the program, to check and assess whether that program will do or perform the functions required and if that program isn't what the user expected, it can then be uninstalled without effect on the user's overall computer environment.

would that be an accurate assessment?

 

There're all kinds of threads on it, although maybe the best and easiest to understand explanation on it is here, posted by Sully.

 

thanks wat0114

i've read sully's threads but i'm keen on understanding just those nuts and bolts...

I guess I need to read them again; thanks again

 

I don't know how sandbox applies to my everyday computer activity!

if I dl sandbox, do I then run my computer in sandbox? how do I do that!

how does it work with my everyday usual computer activity?

how do I know that sandbox will do what I expect [which is why I'm asking]?

beyond that, if I dl sandbox and it does *contain* the programs I download without effecting my computer, if I decide that i'm happy with the dl program, can I then dl that program via sandbox to my hard drive?

 

It's meant to sandbox selected programs, especially the web browser, to keep it isolated from the real system. This way any malware that gets in through the browser is fully contained and can't touch anything outside of it. So no, it won't run the entire computer environment in a sandbox. A VM will do that, and I think there are other solutions as well, but I'm not sure what they are.

As for testing software, I'm not sure how effective it is for that. Maybe single file executables are okay to test, otherwise I think a VM is a better approach.

There are others who know Sandboxie far better than I who might be able to explain and help better, otherwise maybe check out some of the many threads in here on it.

 

BellaBoo,

Using Sandboxie is relatively 'dummy-proof' (no offence intended). Just download and install it. Then when you click on the Sandboxie icon it will automatically run your browser (e.g., Internet Explorer).

There are some additional settings which will make your internet-exposure more secure, but before discussing those I suggest taking 'baby-steps' and just get used to using Sandboxie*.

*Note: After 30-days Sandboxie will pause for 5-seconds before opening your browser, but will otherwise continue to work.

Hth...

Wendi

 

@bellaboo.

Hi,
From what i gather.Any programs you install and run within sandboxie will not install any drivers.
I think the driver needs to be installed on the real system,I may be wrong on this so perhaps somebody could clarify that situation.

Just my 2 cents worth FWIW.

 

See Wendi's post.

There are settings in Sandboxie that will allow downloads to bypass the sandbox entirely (if you wish to do that), or give you the opportunity to inspect the downloaded contents inside the sandbox in order to recover them before the sandbox is emptied.

Cruise

 

Hi BellaBoo, yes, Sandboxie can be used for everyday use, that's how I use it. In my case, whenever I run a file, a browser or any program (like, PDF Readers, video players, EMail clients, WinRar, Office, etc) in my computer, they run automatically sandboxed. If you have the registered version, you can do that. In the free version, to run programs sandboxed, you need to do it manually, except your default browser which will run sandboxed when you click on the SandboxedWebBrowser icon that Sandboxie places in the desktop when you install the program.

I recommend you start as most of us have done, sandboxing the browser. Later, if you like the program, then I suggest you get a license in order to get more out of Sandboxie. Keep in mind that Sandboxie is an application sandbox so dont attempt to run your computer in a sandbox, cause if you do, you ll get errors but SBIE does allow users to run a sandboxed Windows Explorer. You can use the sandboxed Explorer to navigate to files or folders that you want to run sandboxed.

About using SBIE to try programs to see if they worth keeping or not. You should know that most programs will install sandboxed but some wont. Programs that install drivers or services will fail to install in a sandbox. Personally, it is rare for me to use Sandboxie for trying programs. For that, I prefer to use Light virtualization programs like Shadow defender (paid) or Toolwiz TimeFreeze (free). Personally, I used both programs and like both programs. Like with SBIE, this programs have never failed me neither and I recommend you take a look at them too. When you try programs using either SBIE or the LV programs that I mentioned, you should install them in your real system if you decide to keep them. So, you should delete the sandbox in Sandboxies case or reboot to drop changes if using a LV program before you install the program for real.

As far as knowing "that sandbox will do what I expect". In over four years of using the program, Sandboxie has never failed my expectations. My trust in Sandboxie is 100%.

Bo

 

Acadia

 

@BellaBoo

First, you must start something in Sandboxie for it to become sandboxed. As already noted, it is intended to be used on programs of your choise.

When an application is ran in a sandbox, any process that it spawns becomes a "child" process and will also run in the same sandbox.

When a program is started in a sandbox, files are read from the real system. If, while sandboxed, you don't modify anything, then not much happens.

If however you do something that would require a modification/creation/deletion in the real system, Sandboxie will virtualize this by making a copy of whatever needed to be modified and then working with that copy from that point on. That copy is kept separate from the real system and only used by Sandboxie.

If you run a program install with Sandboxie, then all of the objects or containers or registry keys that would normally be written to your real system are kept only to Sandboxie. Since the real system never sees these changes, there is never anything to "clean up". When you delete the contents of a sandbox, you delete all traces, so also within the sandbox there will be nothing to "clean up".

Now regarding a program that has been installed into a sandbox, you can use windows explorer and copy the program files from the sandbox to the real system. Many programs will work, many will not. Some will require registry entries to work, some will require that libraries be registered. But you can get many to work without actually installing them on the real system without much effort.

In short, it is what you think it is according to your opening statements. I use it all the time for testing new software, although not all software can be tested. For firewalls and anti-virus or hips type applications, you most likely have to use a virtual machine of some kind. But for a good portion of software, Sandboxie makes testing quite easy. Just create a box to test in, install, test and delete the box when done. The added benefits that I really like and employ, is that with the paid version you create many different sandboxes with different settings and really fine tune the environment for different testing needs.

Sul.

 

That was a good explanation, Sully. You explained it exactly how it works. A lot of people sure have a heck of a time getting their head around Virtualization.

You're point of Sandboxie making "copies" helps explain. That's what Sandboxie does, .. make "Copies" of the OS and runs them in isolation.

Ken:

 

thank you all so very much; you've each provided me with information that is useful for my purposes and I most graciously appreciate your time, effort and knowledge.

I am very keen to get started, but I will take more *head* time, with it and LV, because i'm presently experiencing an issue with sleep mode/wake up and that's driving me to distraction...

thank you all for being so helpful