Feedback from a novice: A suggestion for Sandboxie's usability

[loong]

I'm a complete computer novice, and I have a piece of feedback I'd really like to share.
I love tinkering with sandboxes, but my computer skills are honestly not that great. I often have to spend a long time researching just to figure out a single option to get the steps I want.
Could you consider creating a "Super Simplified" mode? This would make things much easier for "dummy" users like me.
For example, after the sandbox starts, you could offer a choice between "Simple Mode" and "Expert Mode":
Simple Mode (Dummy-proof): Just prompt the user with something like: "You can drag program icons or folders you want to run into the sandbox." From then on, double-clicking those desktop icons or folders would force them to run in the sandbox. For instance, dragging the computer's Temp folder or system installation cache files in there would save us from complex configuration steps.
Expert Mode: Keep the current interface style for advanced users.
I realize this would require more coding time and increase the workload for the developers. However, I truly believe that making software user-friendly (dummy-proof) is the key to gaining traction and traffic quickly.

 

[bastik-1001]

Hello, thank you for your feedback.

Do you use Sandboxie Classic or Sandboxie Plus? Sandboxie Plus has a newer user interface and exposes more settings to be configured via the graphical interface.

 

[loong]

Hello, thank you for your feedback.

Do you use Sandboxie Classic or Sandboxie Plus? Sandboxie Plus has a newer user interface and exposes more settings to be configured via the graphical interface.

It's specifically Sandboxie-Plus. My computer skills really aren't that great. I get overwhelmed by all those windows and there are tons of settings that just don't make sense to me. I often spend half the day searching the internet just to understand a single command.
If it were more "idiot-proof" and user-friendly, I think a lot more people would love it.

 

[bastik-1001]

Thank you for making sure, we are talking about the same product. At the core level they are the same, anyway, but Sandboxie-Plus uses a different user interface as the one for Sandboxie Classic is no longer in development. In my mind, the modern user interface is also easier to navigate, unless someone is familiar with the old interface. I recommend the version to be installed, compared to using the portable version. The system integration should work better and updating via the update process or the installer works pretty well.

Please install the latest version of Sandboxie-Plus, which is 1.17.4 at the time of writing. Some things have changed a lot. Maybe you want to start fresh, by removing the old configuration. Sandboxie comes with a default sandbox, which you can use without having to change a setting. Sandboxie has a sandbox creation wizard, to create custom sandboxes, with the option to customize settings.

My computer skills really aren't that great.

That's absolutely no issue, to install, update and use Sandboxie-Plus. My skills are not really deep, either. (I don't know how to properly handle MajorPrivacy, another software David works on, which I don't find straightforward to use and would like to have a wizard, a tutorial, or something to make it easier.)

I get overwhelmed by all those windows and there are tons of settings that just don't make sense to me. I often spend half the day searching the internet just to understand a single command.

You can use the default sandbox, without having to configure something. Only when you create custom sandboxes with desired changes you might want to change some settings. I am just curious, what made you feel like you had to change some settings in either Sandboxie or the sandbox?

Since Sandboxie-Plus 1.16.x (thanks to offhub) there have been changes to the built-in INI editor for the global settings and the INI section of the sandbox you are configuring, as it includes tooltips, giving you more information about what a setting does. The built-in INI editor might not be for novice users, to configure Sandboxie, but it can be helpful.

If it were more "idiot-proof" and user-friendly, I think a lot more people would love it.

I agree that Sandboxie should be user-friendly. Thanks again, for stating that you had or have trouble using it. Maybe David, or someone else providing code to the project can do something in this regard, like a different mode as you suggested.

Right now, the process is like this:
Install Sandboxie-Plus
Then either right-click on a file or folder and select "Run Sandboxed" to be presented with a dialog to select an existing sandbox or to create a new one
Or you open the main window of Sandboxie Plus (SandMan.exe) where you right-click on a sandbox (DefaultBox should be always there) and select "Run", where you can choose to start standard applications, like the Windows Explorer or the default web browser, or pick some program from the start menu, where you can start anything in the sandbox, that is available in the start menu of the system. The top most entry "Run Program" takes a known process name (like notepad.exe) a path to a file, or can browse for the file.

In the global settings of Samdboxie-Plus Options > Global Settings > Shell integration > [Windows Shell] you can enable "Add "Set Force in the Sandbox" to the context menu" This allows you to set forcing for a process or folder to a sandbox you pick.

While a process is running in a sandbox, you can right-click on it, in the main interface of Sandboxie-Plus, and select "Preset > Force Into this sandbox". In the right-click menu of the main interface on a process in a sandbox, you can also create a shortcut.

Of course, this appears easy to me. Can you please point to what you find difficult, or where/how it can be improved to make it work better for you and therefore hopefully for more people?

BTW; I am just curious and could not provide the changes you are looking for, but I assume that it helps David to understand what the problem is to provide a solution.

 

[loong]

Thank you for making sure, we are talking about the same product. At the core level they are the same, anyway, but Sandboxie-Plus uses a different user interface as the one for Sandboxie Classic is no longer in development. In my mind, the modern user interface is also easier to navigate, unless someone is familiar with the old interface. I recommend the version to be installed, compared to using the portable version. The system integration should work better and updating via the update process or the installer works pretty well.

Please install the latest version of Sandboxie-Plus, which is 1.17.4 at the time of writing. Some things have changed a lot. Maybe you want to start fresh, by removing the old configuration. Sandboxie comes with a default sandbox, which you can use without having to change a setting. Sandboxie has a sandbox creation wizard, to create custom sandboxes, with the option to customize settings.



That's absolutely no issue, to install, update and use Sandboxie-Plus. My skills are not really deep, either. (I don't know how to properly handle MajorPrivacy, another software David works on, which I don't find straightforward to use and would like to have a wizard, a tutorial, or something to make it easier.)



You can use the default sandbox, without having to configure something. Only when you create custom sandboxes with desired changes you might want to change some settings. I am just curious, what made you feel like you had to change some settings in either Sandboxie or the sandbox?

Since Sandboxie-Plus 1.16.x (thanks to offhub) there have been changes to the built-in INI editor for the global settings and the INI section of the sandbox you are configuring, as it includes tooltips, giving you more information about what a setting does. The built-in INI editor might not be for novice users, to configure Sandboxie, but it can be helpful.



I agree that Sandboxie should be user-friendly. Thanks again, for stating that you had or have trouble using it. Maybe David, or someone else providing code to the project can do something in this regard, like a different mode as you suggested.

Right now, the process is like this:
Install Sandboxie-Plus
Then either right-click on a file or folder and select "Run Sandboxed" to be presented with a dialog to select an existing sandbox or to create a new one
Or you open the main window of Sandboxie Plus (SandMan.exe) where you right-click on a sandbox (DefaultBox should be always there) and select "Run", where you can choose to start standard applications, like the Windows Explorer or the default web browser, or pick some program from the start menu, where you can start anything in the sandbox, that is available in the start menu of the system. The top most entry "Run Program" takes a known process name (like notepad.exe) a path to a file, or can browse for the file.

In the global settings of Samdboxie-Plus Options > Global Settings > Shell integration > [Windows Shell] you can enable "Add "Set Force in the Sandbox" to the context menu" This allows you to set forcing for a process or folder to a sandbox you pick.

While a process is running in a sandbox, you can right-click on it, in the main interface of Sandboxie-Plus, and select "Preset > Force Into this sandbox". In the right-click menu of the main interface on a process in a sandbox, you can also create a shortcut.

Of course, this appears easy to me. Can you please point to what you find difficult, or where/how it can be improved to make it work better for you and therefore hopefully for more people?

BTW; I am just curious and could not provide the changes you are looking for, but I assume that it helps David to understand what the problem is to provide a solution.

Yes, my Bastick, simplify all complex matters as much as possible—dumb them down. Make operations easier and more straightforward. Everything you mentioned is exactly what I've been thinking; I just didn't know how to articulate it.
I want to run some older games in a sandbox because they always leave behind a ton of files when they run, forcing me to reinstall them every once in a while. I also want to put system folders that are prone to generating junk into the sandbox, to keep both the games and the system running more smoothly.Bastick, you are truly an amazing person. You're the best!

 

[bastik-1001]

I can't enact the changes you are looking for, but the developer might do something about it.

You can run many installers in Sandboxie, unfortunately not all of them are compatible.

 

[loong]

I can't enact the changes you are looking for, but the developer might do something about it.

You can run many installers in Sandboxie, unfortunately not all of them are compatible.

Have you heard of Shadow Defender? I switched away from it because it stopped working properly and kept crashing. Plus, it's not as flexible as Sandboxie-Plus.
I really wish Sandboxie-Plus could have that same kind of simplicity—something truly "idiot-proof" and accessible for computer novices like me.
Bustic, I don't mean to tell you how to do your job or criticize your work; that's not my intention at all. I was just wondering: is it possible to create a "general purpose" sandbox mode similar to Shadow Defender? Something specifically designed for us computer illiterates to use easily?

 

[bastik-1001]

Maybe Sandboxie can be used for some stuff, people use it for, even though that was not the goal. For some stuff a virtual machine (like VirtualBox) offers better compatibly, if you can run Windows in a VM and effort the overhead.

Maybe a VM is easier to handle, as there is basically no different to using the PC. I have heard about Shadow Defender, which also does not hold back the user.

Maybe David, or someone else can find ways to make it easier. BTW, I was not trying to tell you that it works just fine, as it is. I just wanted to point out what you can already do and how. My job is not involved with Sandboxie, I just try to help out, after my initial translation contribution, which is now handled by Michael, who's quicker and more to the point.

 

[loong]

Maybe Sandboxie can be used for some stuff, people use it for, even though that was not the goal. For some stuff a virtual machine (like VirtualBox) offers better compatibly, if you can run Windows in a VM and effort the overhead.

Maybe a VM is easier to handle, as there is basically no different to using the PC. I have heard about Shadow Defender, which also does not hold back the user.

Maybe David, or someone else can find ways to make it easier. BTW, I was not trying to tell you that it works just fine, as it is. I just wanted to point out what you can already do and how. My job is not involved with Sandboxie, I just try to help out, after my initial translation contribution, which is now handled by Michael, who's quicker and more to the point.

Yes, virtual machines might be great, but I'm such a computer novice that I can't even figure out this sandbox—how could I possibly wrap my head around a VM?
I simply want Sandboxie-Plus to be simpler; I'm not trying to interfere with the development. You are right, maybe I should learn more about computers, but I'm nearly 70 years old... how much can an old guy like me really absorb?

 

[bastik-1001]

Sure, using VMs is a different hurdle and I get that having to learn something is not always easy.

Users are supposed to benefit from Sandboxie and if it is easier to use, more people can benefit from it.

If you have some idea how this could be achieved, please mention what you expected to happen after you first ran Sandboxie-Plus. Right now there is the setup wizard that starts on the first launch (and can be started again, manually), maybe another wizard or built-in tutorial can guide new users to start an installed application or install something in a sandbox.