sandboxie/sandboxie

Sandboxie is a Windows application that runs programs inside an isolated container. When software runs inside Sandboxie, any changes it tries to make to the file system, the Windows registry, or other system areas are redirected to a separate, contained space. When you close the sandbox and discard its contents, those changes disappear, leaving the real underlying system completely unaffected. This isolation is useful in several situations. You can run unfamiliar or untrusted software without risking permanent changes to your system. You can test installers to see what they actually do before committing to a real installation. You can browse the web with an extra layer of separation between your system and whatever a website might try to do. Since everything the sandboxed program does is contained, discarding the sandbox completely undoes it. Sandboxie has a long history as a Windows security and testing tool. It was originally commercial software sold by its original developers, then acquired and later made open source. This repository contains the C codebase for the application, including a kernel-level driver that intercepts system calls and a user interface for managing sandbox configurations. The intended audience includes security researchers, developers who want to test software safely, and privacy-conscious users who want an additional layer of protection when running programs they do not fully trust. Because Sandboxie operates at the Windows kernel level, it involves low-level system components that require careful installation and are sensitive to Windows version changes. Maintaining compatibility with new Windows releases requires ongoing work, which the open-source community around this repository handles. It is a specialized tool suited to technically comfortable users rather than a simple consumer application.