Is S mode a "thing" now with new laptops?

[katz]

I haven't been selling a ton of new pc's lately, so I may be a bit out of the loop. I have a client in the market for a new laptop.

I'm looking over several offerings on Amazon, and I see that a lot of them (or all?) are coming with "S mode" enabled, which apparently prevents apps/programs from being installed, other than what is offered in the Msoft store.

Several people (and searches) mention that switching out of S mode can be an issue...

Comments/suggestions?

 

[ThatPlace928]

I haven't been selling a ton of new pc's lately, so I may be a bit out of the loop. I have a client in the market for a new laptop.

I'm looking over several offerings on Amazon, and I see that a lot of them (or all?) are coming with "S mode" enabled, which apparently prevents apps/programs from being installed, other than what is offered in the Msoft store.

Several people (and searches) mention that switching out of S mode can be an issue...

Comments/suggestions?

Switching out of 'S' mode is easy. Just follow the directions, which you can get online. I've done it many times.

 

[lan101]

I haven't been selling a ton of new pc's lately, so I may be a bit out of the loop. I have a client in the market for a new laptop.

I'm looking over several offerings on Amazon, and I see that a lot of them (or all?) are coming with "S mode" enabled, which apparently prevents apps/programs from being installed, other than what is offered in the Msoft store.

Several people (and searches) mention that switching out of S mode can be an issue...

Comments/suggestions?

Normally it's easy to get out of. I had an acer laptop setup a few years ago and it refused to come out of it. After pissing around with Microsoft on a phone call for an hour or 2 it was something on their server side that wasn't allowing it to get out. Ended up working like 2 days later...that's the only time I've ever had an issue. I think that was back in late 2020 or early 2021.

 

[fincoder]

I'm looking over several offerings on Amazon, and I see that a lot of them (or all?) are coming with "S mode" enabled

Manufacturers that only include a license for Windows S Mode are doing so to save money. I believe there is no license fee to pay Microsoft (or minimal). So laptops with S Mode are generally the cheaper offerings, and avoiding those is a good idea in my opinion.
I generally only sell business-grade computers, even for residential customers, because I don't want to deal with the returns for low quality consumer-grade products. And as a small shop I mostly only have access to business-grade from distributors.

A computer with S Mode must be started with a Microsoft account login (no easy ways around that like a normal Windows 11 device). Getting out of S Mode involves getting an app from the Microsoft Store.

Switching out of S mode in Windows - Microsoft Support

Learn how to switch out of S mode to install apps from outside of the Microsoft Store or to upgrade to Windows 11.

support.microsoft.com

Even after a fresh install of Windows from standard media doesn't get rid of S Mode.

 

[frase]

Sux mode is the pain, yes easy to get around and disable though a waste of time. All it is that MS trying to control what 3rd party can be installed no other use for it. If one needs their hand held when owning a laptop get an iPad.

 

[phaZed]

Only normal in cheaper models.

 

[britechguy]

Only normal in cheaper models.

Which is utterly unsurprising, since it's my memory that S Mode was Microsoft's response to the Chromebook. It was aimed at the education market and not much else. Never made any real inroads there, or so it seems.

 

[fincoder]

It was aimed at the education market and not much else.

That was the original reason (apparently) but it's become a way to "encourage" use of their app store and Bing search, for potential revenue. Hence the reduced OS license fee to the OEM resulting in a cheaper retail price.

I had a customer a few weeks ago who brought their laptop to me for some unrelated reason (WiFi driver issue I think) and I noticed it was in S Mode. They were unaware they'd been using it in crippled S Mode for a few years since purchase!

 

[britechguy]

They were unaware they'd been using it in crippled S Mode for a few years since purchase!

I have no idea how anyone who's used any version of Windows leading up the the era where S Mode became available could be "unaware!"

I'm not doubting what you're saying, but you have to be quite clueless to not recognize the substantial, very substantial, differences in the entire ecosystem that are part and parcel of S Mode.

Just not being able to run typical installers is something even the most casual of users should recognize as "odd." From the Microsoft page, Windows 10 and Windows 11 in S mode FAQ:


How could any average user not notice one or more of these things for a period of years?!!! It boggles the mind.

 

[fincoder]

I have no idea how anyone who's used any version of Windows leading up the the era where S Mode became available could be "unaware!"

I'm not doubting what you're saying, but you have to be quite clueless to not recognize the substantial, very substantial, differences in the entire ecosystem that are part and parcel of S Mode.

I get the occasional customer who only used a smart phone for years before using their first computer. These types are usually not elderly but middle-aged, people that managed to avoid computers until the point that their smart phone allowed them to use email/browser/facebook without the need for a computer. Then they buy a cheap laptop for a basic reason, like bigger screen/keyboard or photo storage. People that have only used smart phones might not notice the Windows S Mode limitations.

 

[britechguy]

People that have only used smart phones might not notice the Windows S Mode limitations.

Agreed. But that is not at all representative of "the average user." How many people do you know who have worked in any environment who have never, even once, touched a Windows PC?

I will admit that in any given population, the normal distribution includes people in the tails, but those people are far removed from the mean/median.

 

[Blues]

I am amused by the almost warning "You won't be able to return to S mode again" like people departing from it would ever want to go back.

 

[ThatPlace928]

I am amused by the almost warning "You won't be able to return to S mode again" like people departing from it would ever want to go back.

Like deleting the old Windows 7 files, after an upgrade to Windows 10. It warns you that you can't go back...... who would really want to go back? And, if you wanted to go back, just do a fresh install.

 

[fincoder]

But that is not at all representative of "the average user."

My original comment was about one particular customer I had recently. Next comment was about "the occasional customer". Of course you are right but I'm not sure what you're arguing against.

 

[NviGate Systems]

S Mode is basically Windows RT all over again, if you think about it, sans ARM CPU.

Microsoft still can't get mobile done right and products like S Model are just another cheap rock to throw at Google.

 

[carmen617]

I mostly do residential break/fix and I've had a bunch of new systems come in for migrations with S mode lately. I expect to see a whole lot more, because of Windows 10 EOL and people replacing systems that can't be upgraded. The only way to set one up without a Microsoft account is to log in with a dummy account, get out of S mode, and then reset the PC. It will restart as a non-S mode "new" install, and you can then use oobe/bypassnro to set it up without a Microsoft account.

S mode is a real pain in the neck, and I have seen people with S mode computers who had no idea how crippled it was, just "didn't like the computer" cuz it couldn't do much.