So you can use Windows Sandbox and collaborate with your Windows PC in the fight against the Coronavirus

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You may have heard of the Folding at Home project these days. This is a global initiative that seeks to take advantage of the untapped potential of the computer equipment that we have at home. It is about promoting collaboration between people to give birth to a distributed computing project. Originally used to use personal computer resources to perform simulations of disease-relevant protein folding and other molecular dynamics, it is now being used to combat the Coronavirus."

And at this point we can think about what this has to do with Microsoft. Well, a lot, because the Redmond giant, given the number of computers that use Windows, has decided to explain how you can be part of this project facilitating the necessary steps to achieve it.

Fight the Coronavirus

The Redmond-based company has given the instructions so that all those who want to be part of the project can do so using the resources offered by their personal computer. To that end, Microsoft has shared a PowerShell script that will allow users to run the Folding at Home client safely in Windows Sandbox.

Windows Sandbox is the safe environment to perform tests on our computer without compromising It is therefore an isolated and temporary desktop environment in which untrusted software can be executed without having to fear operating problems on our PC.Windows Sandbox is a closed environment, only for testing, that we run from time to time and whose effects disappear once we close it.

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The objective of this script is to install the latest Folding at Home client in Windows Sandbox, in this case it is necessary to have this option enabled on our computer. To do this you have to open the Windows search engine and enter the function Turn Windows features on or off and the best option to do so is to use the start menu search engine and write Turn features on or off…."

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In the Windows Features window you can access the hidden functions of the operating system, including Windows Sandbox. Once activated, all that remains is to restart the computer to access Windows Sandbox. Once started, just use the start menu and search for the Windows Sandbox app to run it."

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With the script provided by Microsoft and Sandbox enabled, the user must open PowerShell or Prompt system as administrator and run the following command line:"

If you also want to add the username, you must add the option -username:

In addition, in its commitment to open source software, Microsoft has created a repository on GitHub for users to contribute ideas to improve performancethat Windows Sandbox can offer.

Via | Microsoft Cover image | Engin_Akyurt