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SbieIni Command Line

SbieIni.exe is a small command-line utility for querying and updating the Sandboxie configuration file Sandboxie.ini. This page documents common invocation forms, examples for automation, and implementation references for maintainers.

Quick start

SbieIni.exe queryex DefaultBox RecoverFolder
SbieIni.exe set DefaultBox RecoverFolder %Desktop%

Overview

SbieIni.exe supports two primary workflows:

  • Querying configuration values (read-only)
  • Updating the configuration (set, append, insert, delete)

Invocation summary

Basic forms:

SbieIni.exe query    <section> [setting]
SbieIni.exe queryex  [/expand] [/boxes] <section> [setting]

SbieIni.exe set|append|insert|delete [/passwd:********] [/drv] <section> <setting> <value>

Notes:

  • queryex is shorthand for query /expand.
  • /boxes lists only enabled sandboxes.
  • /passwd: supplies a config password; if empty the utility will prompt interactively.
  • /drv routes updates through the driver/service API; without /drv the DLL helper path is used.

Querying configuration (read-only)

Purpose: inspect sections and settings.

How to list sections:

SbieIni.exe query *

How to list settings in a section:

SbieIni.exe query DefaultBox *

How to get the value(s) for a setting:

SbieIni.exe query DefaultBox RecoverFolder

How to expand variables to paths:

SbieIni.exe queryex DefaultBox RecoverFolder

Update operations (set / append / insert / delete)

Purpose: modify configuration contents.

Set — replace existing lines of a setting (or remove them if no value supplied)

SbieIni.exe set <section> <setting> <value>

Append — add a new value line after existing entries

SbieIni.exe append <section> <setting> <value>

Insert — add a new value line before existing entries

Note: in some builds insert may behave like append; test if order matters.

SbieIni.exe insert <section> <setting> <value>

Delete — remove a value line that exactly matches the supplied value

SbieIni.exe delete <section> <setting> <value>

Advanced and automation notes

  • To delete an entire box: SbieIni.exe set BoxName * "" (removes all lines for that section). Use with extreme caution.
  • Batch files: escape percent variables as %%VAR%%.
  • If values include spaces, wrap them in double-quotes.
  • Avoid running updates while Sandboxie.ini is open/locked by another process.
  • For driver-level updates or automation where immediate driver state is required, use /drv (service/driver must be available and caller needs necessary privileges).

Examples

SbieIni.exe query * | sort > Sections.txt
SbieIni.exe query DefaultBox RecoverFolder
SbieIni.exe queryex DefaultBox RecoverFolder
SbieIni.exe append DefaultBox Template RoboForm
SbieIni.exe set DefaultBox AutoRecover n
SbieIni.exe delete DefaultBox RecoverFolder "C:\Old\Path"

Implementation and references

The authoritative behavior lives in the apps/ini sources. Key implementation points:

  • apps/ini/cmd.c — argument parsing helpers.
  • apps/ini/query.c — query implementation and SBIEDLL query helpers.
  • apps/ini/update.c — update verbs, /passwd prompt, /drv vs DLL path.
  • apps/ini/main.c — program entry and usage handling.

Forum/source note

Some usage examples and operational notes were informed by community forum discussion archived.