Ask an average Windows user about S-mode and he’ll shrug his shoulders in surprise. But some still had to face this: recently, “ten” on budget computers (mainly laptops and PC-transformers) comes with a pre-installed S-mode. Let’s figure out what kind of beast it is, how dangerous it is and whether it is possible to run away from it.
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What is the mode for?
If you are looking to purchase a new computer, we advise you to carefully read its specifications. If it says that the model you like is running Windows 10 Pro or Home, but in S mode, it’s worth considering whether to buy such a PC.
The fact is that the operating system using this mode has a number of limitations, many of which you will not like.
This cannot be called an innovation: some of you will probably remember the release of the sensational Windows 10 S in the spring of 2018, which was met with hostility. The new operating system turned out to be a heavily curtailed version of regular Windows, no one bought it, and Microsoft was forced to admit the release of this independent version was a mistake. But the idea, as it turned out, was not abandoned, starting to promote the notorious S-mode as an optional addition to Windows 10 laptops.
The controversy over the letter S continues today. There are several plausible-looking options for decoding this letter in the name of the OS and mode: Security (safe), Safity (also translated as “safe”), Speed (high-speed). And all three values can be credited to the mode: yes, it provides a higher level of security, since in principle it does not allow installing third-party software. Except for what is in the Windows Store, which undergoes such rigorous checks that a molecule will not slip through, let alone a virus. Well, the speed of the computer is higher for the same reasons: the stripped-down version loads faster and works very quickly.
But are you willing to pay as high a price as freedom for stability and security? This refers to the freedom of choice of software, which was taken away from you.
The whole trick is that you will almost constantly face new problems and spend a lot of time looking for compromises, and not always successfully.
Well, a large corporation strives to make the life of its customers easier, calmer, but customers are not happy with this. At least the majority. However, Microsoft took into account the previous mistake: you can refuse S-mode in your laptop at any time, it does not threaten with any sanctions and is carried out literally in a few clicks.
On the other hand, there is a large stratum of users who use a computer for purely utilitarian purposes, be it surfing the Internet or using office applications. It is for them that S-mode in Windows will come in handy, freeing them from the need to worry about security, install anti-virus programs, and not tremble when installing new programs downloaded from torrent sites. And enjoy the high speed of work, even when using frankly weak equipment, on which the usual “ten” would work like a turtle.
Pros and cons of S-mode
But let’s look at its features, advantages and disadvantages in more detail.
Applications
So, you already know that in S-mode you can install only those programs that are present in the Windows Store. Whatever tricks you use, you won’t be able to install third-party software on your computer, it will be mercilessly blocked.
Yes, the Store is constantly updated, it already has a huge number of applications, but … As a rule, these are developments, the functionality of which does not reach the classic and popular packages and programs. And many software developers are in no hurry to get there – checks in the Windows Store are much stricter than in the same Play Market. Well, S-mode does not allow any ads, which made even Google unavailable to enter the Store.
But, again, all Microsoft packages and programs in S mode are available and work, and for most others there are alternative versions. Just like in Linux, but with a familiar interface and infrastructure.
Internet
Here too many will be disappointed. First, in S mode, only Microsoft Edge is available from browsers. There are alternative browsers in the Microsoft Store, but they cannot be called normal. However, if you are used to Google Chrome, then Edge is built on the same Chromium engine, by the way, very popular. That is, there will be few complaints about the functionality of the browser in S-mode, you just need to get used to it.
But the situation with search engines is very bad. Only Bing is available, no other options are provided. In principle, you can get used to this search engine, but the trouble is that the overwhelming majority of sites are designed and developed taking into account Google ranking algorithms, we also have Yandex, so the search results will be strikingly different, and it is no longer possible to get used to it. And there is no reason to expect SEOs to quickly rebuild and make appropriate adjustments specifically for the S-mode.
Protection
In Microsoft itself, S-mode is positioned as safe. But one thing is the use of proven applications, and quite another is surfing the Internet, it is not prohibited here. And from this point of view, the security situation looks from a completely different angle. You can forget about antiviruses, you should rely only on Windows Defender, and it is considered by many to be insufficient for fighting viruses. Yes, the Defender has improved noticeably lately, but mistrust in him remains. And this too will have to come to terms.
Drivers
And this important aspect in S-mode was not entirely successful. All drivers are installed automatically by the system. As in classic Windows during installation. But with one difference: manual installation of the driver taken “from the outside” is not provided here. Even if it is a driver from a video adapter or printer. You just won’t be able to download them from the official developer sites, let alone other sources, S-mode won’t allow. We can only hope that as new driver versions are released, they will appear more or less quickly in the Microsoft driver database, from where they will be automatically downloaded and installed by the operating system.
From now on, forget about accessing the system registry and command line. Is it a blessing to ban them in S mode? Which side to look at. After all, it is the registry and the command line that are sometimes the only tools for solving a variety of problems that arise in Windows with enviable regularity and regardless of the user’s experience.
Obviously, for beginners, all these features are not very important – they will learn to work on what is available. This is why Microsoft first started to enable S-mode on Windows computers in schools.
Is it all that bad? So far, yes, but if all or most of the familiar software appears in the Microsoft Store, the situation with the popularity of S-mode will definitely begin to change for the better.
How to disable S-mode in Windows 10
We are sure that among our readers there will be those who are interested in the opportunity to try Safe Mode in action. We’ll have to disappoint them – this is not possible, for this you have to buy a PC with S-mode installed, or buy a separate license for such a limited Windows.
Exit from the S-mode is possible at any time, we have already talked about this. But they did not mention that this is a one-time operation, there will be no return ticket. We decided to abandon the regime – be prepared for the fact that this is forever. It will be possible to return only under the conditions described in the first paragraph.
By the way, there is an interesting statistic on this matter, which Microsoft has shared with journalist Brad Sems. It deals with quantitative indicators of transitions from S-mode versions of Windows to regular ones:
- about 60% of users decided to stay with the S-mode option;
- 60% of those who switched to an OS without restrictions did so within the first day of using a computer with S-mode;
- after seven days of use, the proportion of those who subsequently remained to work on a limited version of the OS rose to 83%.
However, these figures look very dubious, even taking into account the fact that the stripped-down version was installed mainly on inexpensive computers. These statistics can only be believed if we assume that almost all users were newbies.
But enough of the lyrics, let’s still look at how to disable S-mode in Windows 10 Home (it is on this version of the OS that the limited mode is installed most often, according to the same Microsoft statistics, in second place is Windows Professional).
So, we bring to your attention a step-by-step algorithm for disabling S-mode:
- go to “Start”;
- click on the gear icon;
- select the “Update and Security” tab;
- in the left pane, select the “Activation” item;
- in the right block we are looking for the section “Switch to Windows 10” (Home or Professional), at the bottom of which there is a link to the Windows Store. Click on it;
- a window titled “Exit S Mode” will appear. Confirm by clicking on the “Receive” button.
It will remain to wait for a while and after the process is completed, restart the PC, and it will boot already in the unlimited mode. And don’t be surprised if it takes longer to download and your computer slows down.
If you are unable to transition from S mode to normal mode, it means that there is a problem with the license. If this is the case, that is, you are using an invalid key, then at the stage of entering the Windows Store you simply will not see the exit button.
Conclusion
You have familiarized yourself with the peculiarities of working in a limited operating system and can draw preliminary conclusions about the advisability of buying such a device. For those who got such a computer due to certain circumstances, we advise the following: before leaving S-mode, try to work for at least a week – you see, the army of adherents of this mode will be replenished by one combat unit …