Windows 10: How to switch out of S mode in Windows 10/11

Windows in S Mode is designed to provide enhanced security and performance by allowing only app installations from the Microsoft Store. While this feature is beneficial in preventing malware and ensuring a secure computing environment, it might limit users who want to install applications from sources other than the Microsoft Store.

If you find yourself in this situation and constantly ask yourself how to switch out of S Mode in Windows 10/11, you've come to the right place because we'll walk you through the step on how to switch out of S Mode in Windows 10/11 using two different methods, ensuring you can enjoy the freedom of installing apps from anywhere you choose.


Knowing how to switch out of S Mode in Windows will let you install the apps outside of the Microsoft Store to your PC
How to switch out of S Mode


By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can easily switch out of S Mode in Windows 10/11, regardless of whether you have a Microsoft Account or not. Remember that the switch is permanent, and once you've made the change, you won't be able to turn S Mode back on.

Switch Out of S Mode using your Microsoft account


To begin the process, click on the Windows menu and select the Settings icon, resembling a gear. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut Windows key + I to quickly access the Settings panel.

Once you're in the Settings panel follow these steps:

1. Locate and select the "Activation" option
2. Confirm that you see the "Windows 10/11 Home in S Mode" message, that means your PC is currently in S Mode and eligible for switching
3. Select ''Switch to Windows 10/11 Pro'' and choose the ''Go to the Store" link
4. Select "Upgrade your edition of Windows"
5. Click the "Get" button under the "Switch out of S Mode" banner

After confirming your action, your PC will no longer be in S Mode, and you'll be able to install apps from outside the Microsoft Store.


You can switch out of S Mode by disabling Secure Boot and loading Windows without specific features
Switch Out of S Mode using BIOS


If you don't have a Microsoft Account and want to disable S Mode, you'll need to turn off Secure Boot in the UEFI (BIOS).

Start by booting your PC into Advanced Startup following these steps:

1. Click on the Start menu, then select "Settings"
2. Go to "System" and click on "Recovery"
3. Choose "Restart Now" next to "Advanced Startup"
4. Confirm the restart, and your PC will boot to a blue screen with various options

In the Advanced Startup options, click on "Troubleshoot," then select "Advanced Options" followed by "UEFI Firmware Settings". Your PC will now reboot into the UEFI.

The location of the Secure Boot option varies by PC model. For Dell PCs, it may be available in the "Secure Boot" method. For other manufacturers, check the "Boot" or "Boot Options" menu in the UEFI.

Read also: How to Turn Tablet Mode on and off in Windows.

Once you find the Secure Boot option, disable it. This action will also disable features like Windows Hello and Bitlocker, but you can reenable Secure Boot later.

After disabling Secure Boot, save your changes and exit the UEFI. Your PC will boot into the standard version of Windows 10/11 without S Mode.

Thank you for being a Ghacks reader. The post How to switch out of S mode in Windows 10/11 appeared first on gHacks Technology News.

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Unable to switch out of Windows 10S mode.

Hi,



Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.



We understand the difficulty you are facing. However, we would need some more information regarding the issue.

1. May I know the model number of the system?
   
2. Could you please provide the screenshot of the page where you are not able see Get button by referring to
   
   How to include a screenshot in your post?
   

We would suggest you to refer
Switching out of S mode in Windows 10 and
Fix problems switching Windows modes in Microsoft Store and try performing troubleshooting steps mentioned in the article and check if it resolves the issue.





Regards,



Manjunath H

Microsoft Community – Moderator

 

Airplane mode switch not working

Since the troubleshooting steps that were provided did not resolve the issue, we suggest switching on the Radio Management Service. To do that, please follow the steps below:

• Press Windows key + R.
• Type services.msc, then hit Enter.
• Search for Radio Management Service.
  
• Right-click, then choose Start.

Note: Never ever set this service to "Disabled".

Get back to us if the steps won't work.

 

Explicit tablet mode switch

Can we get an explicit tablet mode switch inWindows 11?

Here's the use case:

• Windows 11 auto-selects tablet mode if under certain circumstances
  
  • For example, if you have a 2-in-1 PC (like a Surface, Lenovo Yoga, HP x360, etc) and you "tent" it by folding the keyboard back
    
  • It's also selected if you detach (not fold back) the keyboard on a Surface or similar tablet PC
    
• Under Win10, this would autoselect tablet mode, same as Win11: the system would note the sensor input and change modes
  
  • The task bar changes to autohide, the Start menu changes to fullscreen (Win10), button and menus change to become larger and less dense
    
    • The mode change from desktop<>tablet also provides hints from the OS to other applications to, eg reduce control density:
      
      • Web pages can change layout
        
      • Office applications reduce options and space out controls
        
      • Context menus are more widely space
        
      • Etc.
        
  • The difference in Win10 is the ability to explicitly switch to/from tablet mode; Win11 doesn't offer an explicit switch at all
    
  • This does make sense in general: Windows thinks you don't have a precision input device available, and changes modes and offers hints to compensate. This is normally good behaviour
    
• However, it's common to "tent" a 2-in-1 and use a desktop keyboard and mouse
  
  • In this situation (keyboard & mouse) the user does not likely want tablet mode: they want a more dense screen layout, the non-auto-hide taskbar, and they don't want applications to use the tablet-mode hints from the OS
    
  • In Win10, this would mean you can switch off tablet mode: problem solved!
    
  • In Windows 11, there's no way to do this
    
    • There's no quick setting, like Win10 has, which would be ideal
      
    • There's not even an explict control panel setting to turn off
      
• There are unhelpful suggestions in the help system and in forums, suggesting the user turn off auto-rotate
  
  • When tenting a 2-in-1, we still want the screen to rotate.
    
  • What we want is to have the operating system continue to work as if there's a precision input device connected
    

It's good design to have the system try to select the mode based on conditions, but it's bad to not allow the user to override it.

Suggestions:

• Add an explicit switch, ideally in quick settings, like Windows 10 had
  
  • This has the added bonus of helping with tablets like, eg, the HP X2, which aren't great at detecting when the keyboard is folded and take input when they shouldn't.
    
• Add a control panel option to disable/enable tablet mode. This isn't ideal, but it's better than nothing
  
• Disable touch mode based when "tenting" if a precision input device (a mouse or keyboard) is available;
  
  • This isn't ideal, either, but it at least solves the tenting issue for tablet PCs
    

ETA: here's another minor irritant: in tablet mode, pressing the Windows key on the keyboard to pull up the Start menu doesn't work. If you have a Bluetooth-connected keyboard, this breaks a UI convention that's been in-place since Win95.

<Changed to a question>