Windows 10 security flaw can be mitigated with the press of a button

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Restarting your PC could help reduce the risk of a security issue due to a bug.

HP Elitebook
HP Elitebook (Image credit: Windows Central)

What you need to know

  • Some Windows 10 PCs have an issue that causes Windows Defender Application Guard and Windows Sandbox to fail.
  • The issue can be mitigated by restarting your device.
  • Microsoft is working on a resolution for the issue.

Microsoft is working on a resolution for an issue that causes Windows Defender Application Guard (WDAG) and Windows Sandbox to fail to open. While the company is working on a more permanent solution to the issue, there is a simple workaround for the moment, restarting your devices. This mitigates the issue while we wait for a more permanent fix.

A Microsoft support page outlines the issue (via Techdows). When your PC runs into the issue, you'll see one of the following error messages.

  • ERROR_VSMB_SAVED_STATE_FILE_NOT_FOUND (0xC0370400)
  • E_PATHNOTFOUND (0x80070003)

Microsoft explains that you can mitigate the issue by restarting your device.

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If left unmitigated, the issue can cause security problems. Windows Sandbox allows applications to run within isolated desktop environments. WDAG opens untrusted sites in isolated Hyper-V containers to help keep Windows 10 and Microsoft Edge safe from online attacks.

Microsoft updated the support page on July 24, 2020 and is working on a resolution for the issue that will come in an upcoming release of Windows 10.

Sean Endicott
Sean Endicott
News Writer

Sean Endicott is a News Writer at Windows Central, where he covers Windows 11, Surface hardware, Microsoft 365, AI, apps, and the broader PC ecosystem. Since joining the site in 2017, he has written well over a thousand articles across the Microsoft landscape, covering breaking news, analysis, and feature reporting.

He writes Windows Wrap, a weekly column covering the biggest stories in Windows and the PC industry, and what they mean for the platform going forward.

Before joining Windows Central full-time, Sean worked in journalism and media production after earning a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University. Outside of tech, he is an award-winning American football coach based in Nottingham, England, and was named BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year in 2024.