[Bug]: Sandbox crashes on boot (0x80072746) with multiple GPUs in use

[realJoshByrnes]

Windows Sandbox version

No response

Windows build number

Microsoft Windows NT 10.0.26120.0

Other software

No response

Steps to reproduce the bug

Open Sandbox (directly from the start menu) with multiple GPUs enabled.

iGPU: Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Intel i9-14900k)
dGPU: AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT

When both are enabled in device manager, the issue occurs. When one (either one) is enabled and the other disabled, everything works as expected. When a .wsb file containing <Configuration><vGPU>Disable</vGPU></Configuration> is run, Sandbox works.

Expected result

Sandbox should open as it does when only one GPU is enabled (let windows decide, or apply Windows Graphics Settings)

Actual result

A window containing the following is displayed

The connection to the Windows Sandbox environment was lost.

An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host. (0x80072746)

Included System Information

No response

[realJoshByrnes]

I should add that this has also happens on a clean install of Windows 11 (24h2) Pro. There's a lot of forum posts about this issue, which is where I found that disabling vGPU is a workaround (I though vGPU used to be disabled by default)

[rkvisle]

Can confirm fresh (today) W11 install and using windows update to latest everything. Get the exact error message the op presented. Workaround - Same behavior with disabling the vGPU also allows the sandbox environment to start - not particularly desirable though. Also disabling the Intel (R) UHD Graphics allows the sandbox to start with vGPU enabled. I have a dell precision laptop with a NVidia 3500 ada. However the laptop screen is doesn't work with "extend" screens - only mirroring. So not desirable either.

edit: winver reports Version 24h2 (os build 26100.3037)

[realJoshByrnes]

Can confirm fresh (today) W11 install and using windows update to latest everything. Get the exact error message the op presented. Workaround - Same behavior with disabling the vGPU also allows the sandbox environment to start - not particularly desirable though. Also disabling the Intel (R) UHD Graphics allows the sandbox to start with vGPU enabled. I have a dell precision laptop with a NVidia 3500 ada. However the laptop screen is doesn't work with "extend" screens - only mirroring. So not desirable either.

edit: winver reports Version 24h2 (os build 26100.3037)

Previously I was on the i9-12900F (same specs otherwise) and this didn't happen. Only since introducing the iGPU (i9-14900K) has it happened.

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like @microsoft is monitoring their own public issue tracker.

[kvega005]

I would appreciate if you could file feedback through feedback hub and specifically click on "Recreate My Problem" in the "Add more details" section. Then share the link to your specific feedback here. When you recreate your problem through feedback hub, additional logs are collected. This will help us investigate.

[realJoshByrnes]

@kvega005 I just did - https://aka.ms/AAv40br It has the diagnostic data attached as you requested.

After submitting feedback, I also noticed I previously submitted this one two months ago (without extra data) - https://aka.ms/AAv4fjx

[anthonymastreanvae]

Workarounds include:

• Running a custom .wsb file

  <Configuration>
   <vGPU>Disable</vGPU>
  </Configuration>
  

• Disable the GPO setting (Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Windows Sandbox > Allow vGPU sharing for Windows Sandbox to 'Disabled')

  

[realJoshByrnes]

• Just adding a note that this doesn't seem dependant on dGPU manufacturer as I'm still experiencing this issue with Windows 11 24H2 and NVIDIA 5070 Ti

[OranguTech]

Can confirm, and I'm starting to narrow in on the problem: "An existing connection was forcibly closed by the remote host. (0x80072746)"

I just discovered it only happens when both my video adapters are/have been active, i.e. both displaying desktops.

My setup:

Name                      DeviceID         DriverVersion
----                      --------         -------------
Intel(R) UHD Graphics 770 VideoController1 32.0.101.6913
AMD Radeon RX 6750 XT     VideoController2 32.0.21013.1000

Main display on the Radeon, 2nd display on the Intel Integrated. If I boot up w/ only the main screen, it launches fine. I can turn on my 2nd monitor and extend to it, works no problem. But if both screens are on/in use from bootup, then I get the error.

Crucially, I can see that the sandbox environment is launched and running with the wsb list command. Also crucially, when it's working, I can replicate the same error and similar behaviour if you use the CLI to connect when you already have an open sandbox window. (Except it'll be faster and you'll get a new, working window:)

Anyone having this issue, @realJoshByrnes - do you have a 2nd video adapter, or if not, can you describe hardware and setup? When you get the error, can you verify that a sandbox is running? (See above.)

Win 11 24H2, CPU is i7-12700K in case it matters.

[realJoshByrnes]

@OranguTech The title of this is "Sandbox freaks out with multiple GPUs". The original post noted that I was running two video adapters:

iGPU: Intel UHD Graphics 770 (Intel i9-14900k)
dGPU: AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT

I can also confirm it's not AMD specific, as I have now swapped the dGPU for a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 Ti.

It also doesn't matter which device is enabled (dGPU or iGPU). It appears to be an issue with the way the vGPUs are enumerated upon starting WSB.

[OranguTech]

Derp, my fault for trying to record findings in between $Dayjob. I meant to say "Anyone having this issue, besides OP", and ask you @realJoshByrnes to try booting up fresh with only the main dGPU active, see if it works, then extending/activating the iGPU and see if the problem activates. (And if so verify that the sandbox is running)

Also was actually going to suggest changing the title to be more descriptive than "freaks out", perhaps including the error message.

[realJoshByrnes]

try booting up fresh with only the main dGPU active, see if it works, then extending/activating the iGPU and see if the problem activates.

The issue is only caused on boot, when it decides what GPU resources are passed to the sandbox. Temporarily disabling a GPU in device manager will bypass the issue, and re-enabling once the sandbox is loaded doesn't cause any further issues.

Also was actually going to suggest changing the title to be more descriptive than "freaks out", perhaps including the error message.

I've tried to be a little more descriptive, but I believe that error message happens for a bunch of reasons.

• I found people were reporting the same issue in other places such as forums (after searching the web), and have confirmed it to be the case with friends who have the same issue.

[jazzbanzai]

Same issue in Windows 11 for me, as a temp workaround I fixed it using this: (mainly AI generated)

# Define the services and their display names
$services = @(
    "vmcompute",     # Hyper-V Host Compute Service
    "gcs",           # Hyper-V Guest Compute Service (assumed VM management)
    "vds",           # Virtual Disk
    "nvagent"        # Network Virtualization Service
)

# Track services that were running
$runningServices = @()

# Stop services and record their status
foreach ($service in $services) {
    $svc = Get-Service -Name $service -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($svc -and $svc.Status -eq 'Running') {
        Write-Output "Stopping $($svc.DisplayName)..."
        Stop-Service -Name $service -Force
        $runningServices += $service
    } elseif ($svc) {
        Write-Output "$($svc.DisplayName) is not running."
    } else {
        Write-Output "Service '$service' not found."
    }
}

# Wait for user input or a condition before restarting
Read-Host "Press Enter to restart previously running services..."

# Restart only those that were running before
foreach ($service in $runningServices) {
    Write-Output "Starting $service..."
    Start-Service -Name $service
}

[rkvisle]

I also used AI to create a powershell script to: a) Disable one of the video adapters in the device manager, either one. Just was not able to start wsb with 2 active. b) Launch the sandbox c) Reenable the video adapter

This is the workaround for getting a sandbox started that allows the vgpu to be enabled.

[jacktose]

Added my experience to the Feedback Hub collection Windows Sandbox won't launch. It has a MS response, but from over a year ago, so possibly not about this issue.

[realJoshByrnes]

My report was added to a collection: After shutting down or restarting Windows Sandbox I get the message: The connection to the sandbox was lost (0x80072746) which isn't related.

Microsoft Response: Thanks for reporting this - Windows Sandbox doesn't currently support persisting on shutdown or restart, which is why you're seeing this message

UPDATE: Excited to share that with Build 22509 Windows Sandbox now supports reboot inside of its virtualized environment (for example, if you were to click the Restart option under the Power button in Start)

Absolutely nothing to do with my report, so it's marked as fixed even though it's not.

@kvega005 Any chance you can pass this on to those that need to know? There's no "That's not my issue" button.

[realJoshByrnes]

Still the same in Win11 25H2