Border Color
BorderColor is a per-sandbox setting in Sandboxie Ini. It controls the colored border and optional sandbox-name label that SandMan displays around applicable sandboxed windows. The border is a visual indicator only; it does not resize or reposition the application window or change the sandbox's isolation.
Syntax
The current format is:
BorderColor=#hex_color_code,border_mode,border_width,border_color_alpha,label_mode[,label_font_size]
For example:
The color is specified as a six-digit hexadecimal value in #BBGGRR order: blue, green, then red.
- The hash mark prefixes a six-digit hexadecimal number.
- The first two digits specify the red component.
- The next two digits specify the green component.
- The last two digits specify the blue component.
The remaining fields have these meanings:
| Field | Values and behavior |
|---|---|
border_mode |
Selects when and where the border is shown. See Border modes. |
border_width |
Border width in pixels. The current default is 6. |
border_color_alpha |
Border opacity from 0 to 255. The current default and invalid-value fallback is 192. |
label_mode |
no hides the label, out places it above the border, and in places it within the border. |
label_font_size |
Optional reference size for the label. When omitted or invalid, it uses the border width. |
Border modes
SandMan currently presents the main modes as follows:
| INI mode | SandMan label | Behavior |
|---|---|---|
off |
Border disabled | Does not display the border. |
ttl |
Show only when title is in focus | Displays the border according to the title-focus behavior. |
on |
Always show (focused window only) | Displays the border for the focused applicable window. |
all |
Show for all windows in this box | Displays borders for all applicable windows in the sandbox. |
The ttloutside, onoutside, and alloutside variants use the corresponding mode but draw the border outside the application frame. SandMan identifies these entries with (outside) in the selector.
The runtime also accepts ttllbl, onlbl, and alllbl. These label-only forms show the sandbox name or alias without the colored border frame. Label-only mode uses non-outside placement; an outside suffix is not retained for that mode.
Label placement
The label_mode field maps to these SandMan choices:
| INI value | SandMan label |
|---|---|
no |
Don't show in border |
out |
Show above the border |
in |
Show within the border |
The displayed text can be affected by the sandbox alias and global alias-display settings described in Box Alias.
BorderInsideMaximized
BorderInsideMaximized controls how an outside border or outside-positioned label is placed for maximized or arranged (snapped) windows. It is enabled by default.
When enabled, SandMan draws the overlay inside such a window when its outside placement would otherwise extend beyond the application frame. This changes only the border overlay placement; it does not alter the application window's size or position.
To disable the automatic inside placement:
The setting metadata lists BorderInsideMaximized as added in version 1.18.1, while the feature is described in the Sandboxie Plus 1.18.2 / Classic 5.73.2 release notes.
SandMan interface
The current controls are available under:
Sandbox Options > General Options > Box Options > Appearance
This area provides the border mode, color, width, opacity, label placement, label-only option, and label-size controls. For outside modes, Inside when maximized or snapped enables BorderInsideMaximized. Its tooltip explains that an outside border which would be clipped by the monitor edge is drawn inside maximized or snapped windows instead.
The current Sandboxie Plus border is a SandMan overlay. Appearance changes generally do not require restarting sandboxed applications, although SandMan must be running to display its overlay.
Sandboxie Control Classic
Sandboxie Control Classic provides its established border controls under Sandbox Settings > Appearance. The available Classic controls may differ from the current SandMan modes and options; in particular, do not assume that every newer SandMan mode is exposed by the historical Classic interface.