"windows S mode" is it removable? Please help!

[LoopOfHelicopterSounds]

So I have a friend that just recently purchased an Acer laptop, and they wanted to download a VPN on it and use another browser instead of Microsoft edge.

 

When they turned on the Laptop for the first time, they could not see the homescreen, it was a kind of procedure that they were forced to go through where immediately they had to connect it to the internet shortly after choosing the language and keyboard layout settings.

 

After that it had to update for 4 hours, and than it forced them to make a Microsoft account just to access the computer and get into the homescreen. So They made a Microsoft account, and they made a brand new account on proton to link the Microsoft account to (because it forces you to have another email/or phone number to it for security purposes)

 

After finally getting into the laptop for the first time--while assuming that they logged into their Microsoft account via the setup wizard--they clicked on the Microsoft edge browser and went to YouTube for awhile.

 

After YouTube they decided it was time to go ahead and use the browser to download a VPN. After downloading the VPN, and trying to open the file, Microsoft store opens up and says "S mode is turned on" which means you cannot download anything outside of Microsoft store. It also means that you can't set your default browser to anything else other than Microsoft edge, as they learned from this guy.

 

Only thing is, they didn't want to listen to this guy and go ahead and download an app on Microsoft store called "remove S mode" because it's still an app that provided by Microsoft

 

So they watched this next video, and done everything correctly. The only difference was is that in their  LOAD HIVE  their was no  LOCAL DISK (C)  instead it was called. ACER (C) so they clicked on ACER (C)

 

 

 

Everything else was the same, and they did everything like the guy in the video, and with all the great reviews and comments that the video got with no negative comments, it didn't work for him. 

 

Also, when he finally tried to sign into his Microsoft account afterwards for the first time after getting frustrated and just signing into Microsoft to turn off S mode, it said his information was incorrect and wouldn't sign him in, even though he wrote down the password and email thoroughly.

 

Also, his new protonmail email that was linked to it (that he signed into the night before) no longer exists when he tries to sign into it

 

Can an expert here give me some help please? He said he's got 3 days before he can take it back

 

In my opinion I think it's purely just the Cloud in the shape of a laptop, it operates only on the cloud. 

[webtrekker]

Never needed to do this, but here's what ChatGPT has to say:

 

To get out of Microsoft S Mode, which restricts you to using only apps from the Microsoft Store and Microsoft Edge, you’ll need to switch to the full version of Windows. This process is free but irreversible — once you leave S Mode, you can't go back.

Here’s how to turn off S Mode:

Steps to Switch Out of S Mode (Official Way)

1. Open Settings
   Press Windows + I or go to Start > Settings.

2. Go to System > Activation
   In some versions, it may be under Update & Security > Activation.

3. Find the "Switch to Windows 10/11 Home or Pro" section
   (You’ll only see this if you’re in S Mode.)

4. Click "Go to the Store"
   This will open the Microsoft Store to a special page (not the regular app store).

5. Click "Get" on the “Switch out of S Mode” page
   Wait for confirmation — this usually takes just a minute or two.

---

Important Notes:

• This is a one-way switch. You can’t go back to S Mode after switching.

• You don't need to pay — it’s free.

• No need for a product key — your existing activation remains valid.

---

[LoopOfHelicopterSounds]

3 hours ago, webtrekker said:

Never needed to do this, but here's what ChatGPT has to say:

 

To get out of Microsoft S Mode, which restricts you to using only apps from the Microsoft Store and Microsoft Edge, you’ll need to switch to the full version of Windows. This process is free but irreversible — once you leave S Mode, you can't go back.

Here’s how to turn off S Mode:

Steps to Switch Out of S Mode (Official Way)

1. Open Settings
   Press Windows + I or go to Start > Settings.

2. Go to System > Activation
   In some versions, it may be under Update & Security > Activation.

3. Find the "Switch to Windows 10/11 Home or Pro" section
   (You’ll only see this if you’re in S Mode.)

4. Click "Go to the Store"
   This will open the Microsoft Store to a special page (not the regular app store).

5. Click "Get" on the “Switch out of S Mode” page
   Wait for confirmation — this usually takes just a minute or two.

---

Important Notes:

• This is a one-way switch. You can’t go back to S Mode after switching.

• You don't need to pay — it’s free.

• No need for a product key — your existing activation remains valid.

---

thanks brother it solved the problem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[webtrekker]

6 hours ago, LoopOfHelicopterSounds said:

thanks brother it solved the problem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Glad it helped. I know AI has a lot of bad press, but I find it very useful at times, particularly when searching for answers to computer-related problems. At least I'm now forearmed should I ever come across this issue myself.