What does Universe Sandbox look like?
Check out the video trailer on the main page or view un-retouched screenshots of the program in action.
What's the difference between the two versions?
The difference is in how the program is installed, once it's running both versions are identical.
ClickOnce Installer
Automatically picks the install location.
Checks for prerequisites (.NET 2.0 & Direct X)
Fewer clicks required to install.
Small initial download (0.5 MB) that downloads remaining files.
If you are running IE you can launch it from your browser.
Standard Installer
Lets you choose the installation location.
Doesn't check for prerequisites (.NET 2.0 & Direct X)
Large download (17 MB) that contains all files.
Requires more clicks to get it installed and running.
How do I Install Universe Sandbox?
- Click on the Install link to download the file 'setup.exe'.
- Run the 'setup.exe' program.
- Follow the on-screen instructions.
- Setup will download and install Microsoft DirectX 9c & .NET Framework 2.0 if they aren't installed on your computer.
- Once installed, Universe Sandbox will automatically run.
How do I run Universe Sandbox?
Universe Sandbox will run automatically after installation.
After it's installed, find it in your Start Menu or on your desktop.
How do I get updates?
Every time you run Universe Sandbox it will check for updates. If an update is found it will ask if you want to get it. You'll always have the latest version.
Why is it trying to connect to the internet?
When you run Universe Sandbox it connects to update.universesandbox.com to check for updates (which forwards to s3.amazonaws.com where the installation files are hosted). I give you my word it's not collecting information or doing anything malicious.
Where does ClickOnce install it?
On XP: %userprofile%\Local Settings\Apps
(e.g. C:\Documents & Settings\Dan\Local Settings\Apps)
On VISTA: %userprofile%\AppData\Local\Apps
(e.g. C:\users\Dan\AppData\Local\Apps)
When I try to update to the latest version I get this error: "Access to the path '1.0.???.?\dxdx9_31.dll' is denied.
This error occurs under Vista when you try to update.
You need to run Universe Sandbox with administrative privileges for updates to complete successfully.
I'm getting the error "Application cannot be started" when I try to run Universe Sandbox. How do I fix it?
Try uninstalling Universe Sandbox and then rerun setup.
If you still have problems, please ask for help.
How do I uninstall Universe Sandbox?
- Click on the Start button on your taskbar.
- Open the Control Panel.
- Open Add or Remove Programs.
- Find Universe Sandbox in the list, select it, and then click the Remove button.
I'm using the standard installer and Universe Sandbox crashes when I try to run it. How do I fix this?
The standard installer does not verify that you have .NET 2.0 or Direct X installed and both are prerequisites.
Try running setup.exe which will verify they are installed or download and install them manually:
Can I distribute these files?
Since updates are released frequently, it would be best if you didn't. Please just link people to this website so that people will always be downloading the latest version available.
If you insist on distributing this application you must use one of the unaltered setup files available from this website. You are not allowed to repackage the program.
Will this work on a Mac?
Unfortunately no. It has been reported that this will not run in a Windows virtual environment on a Mac (like Parallels).
