Forum Discussion
Windows Sandbox
Hi Win4Workgroups,
This error is a known regression in Windows 11 Insider builds (25H2 / 26200+), where Windows Sandbox fails because its container base image is mounted read-only, producing 0x80070013. You can verify this isn’t a simple ACL issue by checking permissions on C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Containers (SYSTEM and Administrators should have Full Control); resetting ownership with takeown / icacls may help in rare cases, but on affected builds it often does not resolve the problem because the issue is at the OS level.
The only consistently verified fix is to return to a stable Windows release (24H2 or earlier). If the system was upgraded recently, this can be done via Settings > System > Recovery > Go back. Otherwise, leaving the Insider channel and performing an in-place repair install or clean install of 24H2 restores Sandbox functionality immediately. On stable builds, Windows Sandbox works as expected without additional configuration.