64
Problems Solved
Our experts solve all your tech problems
Microsoft's
stated
‘Retirement
Date’ for
Windows 10 is
October 2025- but limited
support is likely
to continue
beyond that
date
PROBLEM OF THE FORTNIGHT
Will Sandbox keep Windows 10 safe?
Windows
Sandbox is a
safe area in
which to try out
software and
apps without
installing
them on your
operating
systemQ
When Windows 10 support
stops, would it be safe to
browse in Windows Sandbox?
My current PC has been excellent for
browsing the web and email use. I
know that any software I install in
Sandbox is deleted on shutdown, but
the only software that I would have to
reload immediately after each reboot is
Bitwarden password manager. My PC
works so well that I do not wish to give
it up, but am slightly against using the
methods to bypass the Windows 11
minimum specs – as I suspect that
ongoing upgrades will stop soon and
that might just be the thin end of the
wedge. Or would that be safer than
Windows 10 Sandbox?
David RoyA
Let’s start with Windows 10
support, which is scheduled to
end in October 2025 (pictured
above right).
Based on past behaviour, we would
be astounded if Microsoft actually
wrote off the operating system
completely come that date. In fact,
we’d expect a couple of years of
security updates beyond that supposed
cut-off point. This is because millions
of people will continue using Windows
10 for many years beyond 2025,whether or not Microsoft likes it – it
would be terrible publicity for the firm to
expose all those users to risks it was able
to fix. This has always been the way, for as
long as Windows has existed. So, for the
2025 end of Windows 10 support, read
2027 at least.
So, your question will really become
relevant only if you’re still using your
2015-era PC in 2027. You might be, of
course, and so we’re happy to answer.
And the answer in principle is no, it
won’t be safe.
Why? Because, while Windows
Sandbox (pictured below, available in Proonly, not Home) is currently considered
an incredibly safe way of trying stuff
you don’t want to risk in the ‘real’
operating system, in a theoretical
future where you’re using it as part of
an unsupported version of Windows,
then it simply can’t be considered
completely safe. That’s because, as
unlikely as it is, if hackers discover a
previously undetected flaw that allows
them to compromise the Windows 10
version of Windows Sandbox – and
that exploit doesn’t get fixed because
Microsoft has legitimately, permanently
ended support for Windows 10 – then
clearly that hole will never be filled.
Are these circumstances likely? No.
Are they possible? Yes. But with so
many compounded ifs and buts, we
can’t say we’d worry about too much of
this now, or all that much later.
We’re probably five or six years away
from the ‘real’ end of Windows 10
support, and we’re talking about
theoretical flaws that could lead to
theoretical hacks of a particular feature
in which everything is anyway erased
on closure of said feature. Moreover, all
you want to do is browse the web,
which in itself isn’t all that hazardous.
So, the risk here isn’t zero – but it’s
close to it.25 May – 7 June 2022 • Issue 632