Windows S-mode | Good or bad? How to remove it easily
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 14 ต.ค. 2024
- Windows S-mode in Windows 10 and Windows 11 is designed to protect you and keep you safe. But what is it and how exactly does it protect you? In this video, we take a deeper dive into Windows S-mode so you can know whether this makes sense for you to use. And if you don't want it, here's how to remove it easily in just a couple clicks!
#WindowsSmode
#removeSmode
#windows10
Microsoft S-mode peripherals compatiblity page:
support.micros...
How to convert a standard Windows 10 or Windows 11 computer to S-mode:
learn.microsof...
Hope you guys enjoy this!
👉 If you enjoy this video, please like and share it.
👉 Don't forget to subscribe to this channel for more updates.
👉 Subscribe now: cutt.ly/mOW7myv
Help support the channel!
Scott's Computer Stuff wish list: www.amazon.com...
Scott's TH-camy stuff wish list:
www.amazon.com...
💢 ALL the tools that I highly recommend and use personally every day...
Hardware ---
◼ 142-piece magnetic electronics precision screwdriver set with 120 bits
👉 amzn.to/3exdNeb
◼ StarTech 4-bay USB 3.0 hard drive docking station 6Gbps
👉 amzn.to/3z6zNpG
◼ StarTech 2-bay USB 3.0 hard drive docking station SATA 6Gbps
👉 amzn.to/3sAGZt0
◼ Netgear A6100 wifi adapter
👉 amzn.to/3DWUp5p
◼ Godshark NVME to USB adapter M.2 SSD to Type-A USB 10Gbps
👉 amzn.to/3FGw3O8
◼ Cordless, rechargeable air duster 6000mAh 10w fast-charging
👉 amzn.to/3pzJWIa
💢 Helpful/useful everyday software ---
◼ Ninite (used to automatically download and install your favorite software):
👉 www.ninite.com
◼ Defraggler (used to defragment and organize HDDs, NOT SSD):
👉 www.defraggler.com
◼ Open Office (Microsoft Office FREE replacement)
👉 www.openoffice.org
💢 Hey, do you want even MORE in-depth techie stuff? Check out my friend Nico's page, Nico Knows Tech:
👉 / nicoknowstech
💢 FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
✔ Twitter: / askmecomputers
✔ Facebook: / askyourcomputerguy
✔ LinkedIn: / ask-your-computer-guy-...
✔ Instagram: / askyourcomputerguy
✔ Discord: / discord
** Affiliate link notice **
Some links included in this video are affiliate links. The creator may make a small percentage
from any products you purchase through one of these links. This comes at ZERO extra cost to you, and greatly helps to support the growth of this channel. Thanks so much for watching!
![[ 🔴LIVE ] Minecraft : Day5 บ้านหรู หนูอยู่สบายย](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/q3e6qfwDwFs/mqdefault.jpg)
I came across S-mode when a friend couldn't install OpenOffice on his new laptop (he can't use MS Office because he needs to be able to work offline on his documents). I had to do some looking up to evaluate the consequences of switching S-mode off.
You explain it perfectly; I wish I had had your video at the time ! 👍
Thank you, I appreciate that! Maybe it will help someone down the road in your former situation 👍
Wait MSoffice is always-online now??
I have MS office and I can work offlie. I purchased the one-off version, never pid for the 365 rip-off. Afte about 2 years I am using the software for free now.
I don't think so. Not that I'm aware of. Synchronization to OneDrive obviously has to be done online, but it shouldn't prevent you from opening Office and working on an existing document on the PC
👍
Highs school computer teacher here. The strangest thing happened today. We have a laptop at school which was in S mode (another teacher could not install a program, that's how we found out). So I try to remove the S mode and it says "we will send you a code to this email", and it was the school's email (obviously someone had set this up). So I click "Send code", it sends the code, I type in the code and it replies "There was an error". Try again, same. Just a vague "There was an error". Then I go back and try "Use Microsoft account" and in the account I put in MY personal account and voila! It got unlocked! Now I had not set up the computer so there is no way it was my account there before. So my question is "If a random outlook user can use his account to remove S, then what's the point of all this fuss in the first place ?"
Microsoft says "S mode is safer, you will only be able to download from Microsoft store". Well, I think it is clear what they are trying to do. I hate companies who take people for idiots.
Agreed
MS still has a sore butt form losing the anti-trust case involving IE, alas, revenge is theirs !!!
I didn't even know there was an S mode. This has been a very useful video, thanks.
You're welcome! 👍
Its wort turning off just to use a prefered browser.
Not understanding your comment
the bane of my "quote me a computer, then I'll go buy one myself for cheaper then send it to you to set it up for me which will ultimately cost more when I have to take shit mode off and upgrade it from home to pro anyway" IT worker existence
I knew my version of windows 10 was not in s mode the minute you said that one can not access the command prompt.
This is one of the first things that I do with any new computer to poke around in the system and to make personal directories.
Thanks for the information!
You're welcome!
Call me cynical but I'd guess Spy mode
LOL possibly! Didn't even think of that one 😂
LMAO !!! 😂🤣😂🤣
I guessed Stoo’pid mode😅🤣😂
Spy mode is on always on anyways
👏🏻👍🏻👌🏻
S mode sounds like a good idea for novices but, as usual, MS goes to far and restricts things such as the default search engine, which is a purely marketing move, not a safety, simplicity or usability move.
Very well said! I agree 100%
Yeah, using only Edge and Bing! UGH! NO WAY!
@KOrnhOliO1 agreed!!!
Thank you for your service! I am a Vietnam Era vet.
I checked and fortunately I do not have 'S' mode on this Windows 10 Professional computer. I had no idea such a thing existed until your video. My rig is, as much as possible, under my complete control and since I do not meet Microsoft standards for Windows 11, I do not have to worry about more heavy-handed MS malarkey.
I have read and listened on how to install Windows 11 without the MS permissions/requirements, but someone said that if a person were to do that they would also probably be prevented from getting the upgrades - Talk About Dictatorship!!!
I thought of using a Linux distro, and I have a few on a thumb drive but have not installed. Microsoft seems to say: "You might try something else for an OS." That is not a sound business practice.
You won’t believe this. I bought a cheapo, back-up laptop a week ago and have yet to switch it on and set it up. In the meantime I discovered that it is a Windows 11S job. There was no mention of this, or indeed even that it was a Windows machine, in the store or on the laptop itself-no Windows sticker. (The store’s display laptop, however, was clearly running Windows.) I wondered why at the time.
I’d never heard of S-mode before and knew I had to look into it before I even started. And then your video popped up!
Beautiful! Superb timing! I’m all ears!
Thank you.
😁👍👍👍
Awesome! So glad to be able to help you out 👍💪❤️
Excellent piece. Just to give you my own feedback based upon my eldlerly father's use of S-mode, I find it's working much better than not having the function. Previously, there wasn't a week or a month that didn't go by without my father needing some kind of assistance with a PC problem. Not anymore!! After purchasing a new PC over 6 months ago with S-mode enabled, my father hasn't had an issues with his PC at all. Personally, I find this a blessing.
Agreed! As I said in the video, S-mode does have it's place...your situation being a perfect example of when it's a good thing 👍
S mode is a feature-limited edition of Windows 10 designed primarily for low-end devices in the education market. This is to compete with Google Chromebook. Many schools now issue laptops to students, so they wanted to have a locked-down version of Windows.
So what? Then why not just give a toggle at login screen to switch instead of a system wide setting?
The computer lab and public library in my university has all computers running in Windows S Mode, and all those devices are from the licensed partner deals with some computer manufacturers
I think those are the only conditions where Windows S Mode is actually useful, as it prevents someone to modify the OS or installing sketchy stuff to the public computer facility
Agreed. As said in the video, for organizations with IT management, it definitely keeps a "clean" machine actually clean. It definitely has its perks 👍
Stupid mode, silly mode... Honestly, if people want a chromebook, why not just buy one? And your investigation shows just how "safe" S mode is. It's also extremely annoying to people who actually want to get some work done. Thanks for your video!
But, a Chriomebook only runs Chrome! Can't run any other Browser. At least an S mode PC still runs Windows! And, even though you can only install apps from the Windows store, there are a ton in that store, and they can still be installed. Chromebooks can't install ANY windows apps!!! So, an S mode PC is way better than a Chromebook. Plus, you can always just turn off S mode. :)
The "S" in Windows 10 S Mode doesn't have a specific meaning; it's simply a designation used by Microsoft to differentiate this mode from the regular Windows 10 Home or Pro editions. It doesn't stand for any particular word or concept, unlike some other Windows editions where letters in the name have specific meanings, such as "N" for Windows N editions (which come without Windows Media Player) or "LTSC" for Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel editions.
Good to know! 👍
@ianmcnamee1652 I'll get right on that. He's usually quick to respond 😂
I recently purchased a new laptop with W11 s mode. I only heard of it the night before when looking for laptops so I checked it out saw it wasn't for me as I use Google Chrome and Libre Office, but I noted that it could be turned off.
However when I got the laptop set up, my first task was to download Mcafee as I recently bought the unlimited device version. It would not download and I was directed to the MS Store where Mcafee was available, but only if you buy a new version, so I started the process to turn s mode off. Unfortunately you have to be fully signed into your MS account, usually not a problem, but a week or so before, I had changed my backup email which froze me out of my account for 30 days so I had to set up a new MS account on a different email!
I got out of s mode in the end but it was a bit of an obstacle course. Maybe the s stands for "sneaky"!
I'll add that "S" term to the ever-growing list 😂
I am somewhat technical, and support my fellow seniors who are very technically challenged. One 80+ year old friend was having a problem with his new laptop, and I picked up his machine to try to figure out what his issue was. That's when I discovered "S(tupid) Mode". I could not get out of S Mode, and then get back back into S mode. The problem happened to be just a simple user error, so he was back in business. I left the laptop in S-Mode. It seemed to protect him against his rather awkward practice in using the machine...
I find it kinda funny that most computers that come to me to be repaired because of viruses and security issues seem to be using "s" mode.
In my experience s mode simply hides the fact you have malware and makes it impossible to identify and remove unless you disable it.
Thank you for this I’ve purchased a hp laptop and could not figure why I couldn’t make google chrome my default , I sent several complaints to Hp no one could help me by coming across your video I understand now
Glad I could help!
Very helpful video. I bought a laptop for my daughter and it cam "S"-mode enabled. I wasn't sure what to do because she wanted to use a more familiar browser than edge. Your video gave me the knowledge to make an informed decision.🖥
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing 👍
what decesion did u make?
Hi Scott, I'm in the market for a computer and had seen the term "S Mode" in the specs and looked up what it meant.
Potentially, this could work for me, but coming from an old computer that ran Ubuntu, I have no idea what is in the Microsoft Store!
(For the wife, S-Mode, might be a good option. She's not good with computers).
I agree 100% that being able to toggle it On and Off would really be a good option.
You can (at worse) create a Microsoft login and browse the store to see what apps are available before pulling the trigger. I'd still get an S-mode and disable it (at worst), but it would be nice to have that choice
"Senior Mode". I resemble that remark. Thank you for the education.
LOL I'm in my mid 50's. I qualify 😂
For anyone installing Windows 10 or 11 onto a computer that doesn’t come with an OS pre-loaded (such as self build), you shouldn’t have to worry about S mode, as unless there is a flag in the BIOS/UEFI to enable it (or you (or the system builder) set the required values to enable S mode during installation, which are not options you can select in the UI, since this is technically an OEM only feature) then S mode will not be enabled
Agreed. S-mode is OEM specific 👍
I was happy just to see a new video from you Bud, was worried bout ya, haven't heard from you in a while... Glad to see You Again!
Thx Jeremy 👍
This video is pretty useful to me because I'm wondering wether I should get rid of S mode on my computer or not. I'm not the kind of person to tweak my PC or stuff, but I do have a few games and apps that I can't download because of it and it is pretty annoying. But because I also use it for university, I'm still hesitant about that. At least now I have a few more clues to make my choice, so thanks a lot !
All about educating people so they can decide what's best for themselves 👍
Good lesson! I wasn't aware of S Mode. But the fact that it mandates using Bing, I'll be turning it off on my new Win 11 build I'm in the middle of. I've used Malware Bytes for years along with IOBIT malware, and a VPN. Those three things have kept my computer clean.
Nice!
I don't know much about S mode, but my computer came with Windows 10 and I can go to the command line CMD and registry without any problems, also I easily installed google chrome and other programs. I am able to set Google Chrome as my default browser so I guess my Windows 10 computer did not come setup with S mode@@AskYourComputerGuy
@@nr3157 That means your computer was not new and was most likely previously used
Sounds like you were not in S mode
Orrrrrrr.....more likely, it didn't come with S-mode enabled 🤷♂️
My previous lap tap broke, so I needed a new a laptop. I quickly ordered a Dell from my cell phone and didn't know it came with S mode. Since then, I've been living with it. There have been apps I wanted but couldn't get them. It was disappointing. Hearing stories like yours about malware on S-mode makes me reconsider not keeping it. My computer performance is good, however I used to like running virus scans which I can't do anymore. Having S Mode does feel like computer jail at times.
It's always a trade off 🤷♂️
I agree, there should be an option when booting whether to have S-mode on or not. Or perhaps have user accounts that are limited to S-mode, and others that aren't. I guess they don't do that because, once the machine has been out of S-mode, changes could have been made to it. So it should identify itself as being in a re-enabled S-mode.
BTW, will it run portable .exe files that don't need to be "installed"? Or does it just refuse to execute them?
It refuses anything outside the store.
@teknixstuff that's how it is designed. You have to follow the directions and download the plug in from the store to disable it
@@AskYourComputerGuy Technically it's not a plugin (it's just changing a single registry value), and you can manually enable or disable S mode without the store in fact. Just don't use S mode on an LTSC edition without first installing the store, or else you'll have a bad time (LTSC does not include the store).
@teknixstuff technically, you're correct. I try to speak layman in my responses. Most people just want it fixed, they don't care what it's actually called 👍
This concept that you maximize security by reducing available actions that the user can do, unfortunately, is not only on s-mode. Even normal windows continues to reduce freedom of usage, I've thing that i hate for example is not being able to move the task bar, for absolutely no reason. This is even further irritating when you discover that what you are imposed to do to become more "secure", makes actually things more difficult and dangerous. I don't know where Microsoft wants to go, but i think that users are pretty tired.
Agreed 👍
If I purchase a new PC and it has Windows pre-installed, S mode will be the first thing I will remove followed by all the spy and report back to home stuff. I am the only one who decides how I use my computer and what I install on it, not Microsoft.
For the average person Windows S Mode (Security Mode) is a good thing and not so much for them but from other malware apps taking control and causing serious problems. Microsoft's Edge is still based on Chrome (Chromium) so for most people it's fine.
Obviously people like you or me S Mode would be a no-go. Back in the day I remember Apple used to have a similar simplified and more quasi lockeddown UI. However, the malware, Trojans and viruses were nothing like what they are today.
The fact that the malware wasn't actually installed is a big plus. I've had Norton miss a JavaScript from a legitimate site with a banner ad that had an embedded virus that I had to go through the registry and manually delete because it couldn't do it. I'm pretty confident that S mode would have stopped something like that, the changes were made to the registry changing how an EXE file would open. So you can imagine having to run REGEDIT which is obviously an executable.
Very well said 💪👍
I use S mode for my younger son, and since setting it up that way it has prevented a lot of headaches.
That's a perfect excuse to use it! 100%
Until now I didn't know it existed and after learning about it I don't think I want it running on my laptop.
I tend to do some of the things you mentioned s mode might prevent one from doing. Like running my own security sweeps and registry error cleanups.
S mode stands for (S)tupid mode.
Hi Scott, I didn't know about this. As a matter of principle I don't want anything that limits the use of something I own. I just bought a new laptop and one of the first things I did was to create a Command Prompt shortcut on the desktop, so I guess I'm OK. If that hadn't been possible I would have returned my laptop for a refund🕊
👍
Wife wanted a computer that just works and where she is ONLY going to write on word and save in one-drive. For that a cheap laptop with s-mode is perfect. But then she joined an online course and now she cannot join the zoom meeting because zoom isnt approved by windows store. How could zoom be an safety issue?
Thanks for the tutorial on shutting off s-mode
Because Microsoft said so I guess 🤷♂️
Wow, thank you. I bought a new laptop, and I did not know about S mode. It would not allow me to load my Mailbird email program. I followed your instructions to disable S mode and it worked great, is now good. Thank you, sir.
Fantastic!!! ❤️
The current computer I am using was Windows 10 in S mode when I bought it.
I didn't know that it was in S mode until I set up the computer with my Microsoft Account.
However, I did get myself out of S mode after I discovered that I was in S mode.
It is incredible that sometimes, the manufacturer's website does not say whether the operating system is in S mode or not, like sometimes even when an operating system is in S mode, the phrase, 'S mode' does not appear in the operating system specification.
Agreed
Bill needs to be put in jail already. At least on amazon it it shoud say in big letters the computer has s mode and that if infringeses on your freedoms.
You do realize that Bill Gates really has nothing to do with the running of Microsoft anymore.
I've heard of S-Mode but I guess I did not fully understand what it was. lol I guess I didn't care but after watching this I do now understand what it is and I'm glad I know. Great video!
Glad my video informed you, I appreciate the compliment 👍
This sounds perfect for me. I'm a new programmer and should use any protection from any mistake I could potential cause. What I need now is to practice coding and learn HTML. If it will warn me of any illegal activity I do would be great too. I also like the limits on background activity!
9:43 S-mode doesn't prevent you from downloading files, and unfortunately windows defender doesn't flag most PUPs as malware, so they wouldn't have been caught on download. S-mode however did prevent them from being executed. They're all just sitting dormant in the downloads folder. I agree with everything you've said about S-mode, but I thought that part needed a bit of clarification, that that isn't an example of something bypassing S-mode, it did it's (admittedly poor) job correctly.
And about the slowdown, it's very possible the reboot itself did it. Most laptops in S-mode are on budget systems with 4gb of ram. Windows itself takes up around 3gb of ram just to exist. The moment you do anything, open edge, etc, it'll very easily go past that 4gb limit and a lot of core windows features will go into the page file on disk (which is probably a fancy SD card, given the budget systems that run S-mode), leading to sluggishness. This is reset on a reboot though.
Good follow up tips, thank you!
For a high school and college laptop, would you say I should keep it or get rid of it? Because my school runs stuff with mostly google stuff, and I’m not sure if I will be able to access everything with it on. I would make sure but I have no idea what apps and websites I will need for my classes so I want your opinion if you see this.
Great question! Don't do anything yet. Find out the apps you will need first. Then search the Microsoft store for those apps. If they're all there, keep S-mode enabled. If not, disable it and run whatever you wish 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuyokay, that’s what I thought, thanks for the advice
For anyone wanting to do a clean install after disabling S mode, just be aware that it is not safe to immidiatly proceed with the reinstall after it has been disabled in settings, as from what i know, S mode will only get permenently disabled after the computer has had 2 reboots, with at least 5-10 min between them (as athough the windows installation will be immidiatly switched out of S mode, the UEFI flag to enable S mode won't get overriden until the computer has had chance to write the off switch for S mode to the UEFI)
Thanks. Didn't know that
They should just integrate S mode and P mode together instead of providing a seperate version. Let users to login the computer with the S/P mode switch. And making S mode more touch friendly.
Just ran into this on Windows 11 machine I agree the should make it to toggle back and forth but like apple and amazon want to use monopolization to generate a tight circle not for trust but for profit for one entity it's self. Also if s-mode so good how was malware able to by pass it as well as defender. Sounds like a controlling mechanism.
Perhaps 🤷♂️
I hadn’t even heard of S Mode until 3 days ago. I was looking for a new computer and it was in the description of one of them.
Well at least now you know if it was a good deal that you can disable it 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuyit won’t let me disable it!!
@HelgaAndLisaClips what happens when you try? Try this:
www.makeuseof.com/fix-cant-switch-out-of-s-mode-windows-11/#:~:text=It's%20not%20difficult%20to%20solve,the%20issue%20if%20everything%20fails.
@@AskYourComputerGuy yes i went through that exact webpage. still says SOMETHING HAPPENED AND WE COULDNT START THE UPGRADE when i press the GET button
@@AskYourComputerGuy i’ve restarted it, i’ve tried to shut off secure boot but then i need a syskey that i don’t know where to get it from
Great Video Scott. After checking my PC it is not running in S mode. My problem though is that I can't install or uninstall applications. I can't even run admin permission. When trying to run an app a window pops up saying do you want to allow this software to run? But it blacks out the Yes prompt and only gives me the No prompt. Also, going in CMD trying to enable Admin permission, it says Access Denied. Any suggestions?
Sounds like you are using a standard user account. Are you not getting prompted at all to use the administrator login when trying to do these things? If you were able to before and now can't, that could be Windows profile corruption. I would create a brand new administrator account and test that out to see if the problem goes away
No I haven't. Thanks, I will have to look that up on how to @@AskYourComputerGuy
I tried that, it won't even let me create a new user.
@@AskYourComputerGuy
@@billbaggins5732 You need to log onto the computer using an account which is an Administrator for creating new user accounts. Your computer should have at least one account which is part of the Administrator Group. You will need to know the name and password of this account to login.
Sounds like you have a corrupted Windows. Unfortunately, you might have to reinstall Windows (or at minimum a system reset) to get control of it again 🥲
S mode is a pain. I found that sometimes when taking a computer out of s mode and can just comeback. Then you cannot to come out of s mode again. Doesn't matter if you do a registry fix. Found a temp solution to disable secure boot and it forces it out of s mode. Majority of the time i end up reloading it. S mode would be nice as a per user toggle when making the account.
THAT would be a fantastic option, S mode per user! Love it
S-mode disable starts at 8:08. Pruno PS could not install my browser and adblocker because of S-mode. The newer versions of windows 11 prevent you from using the command prompt to disable S-mode. About to try this simplified version.
Some people actually want to know what S-mode is before automatically disabling it 🤷♂️
Im so happy you are here, Thank you so much ! new sub and much appreciated !
Thank you, much appreciated 👍
@@AskYourComputerGuy thank you 🙏 for providing such Great Videos !!!
❤️
I 'd never heard of this . But then , I 've never had a problem with Downloads either . Yes , I run Defender AND Malware Bytes , both .
Thanks for the Heads-Up . Futureproofing so to speak .
You're welcome! A lot of people haven't heard of it, hence the PSA video 👍
Thank you I had no idea what S mode was and was looking to purchase a chromebook with this feature..
Never knew it existed- I’m learning a lot about the world if Microsoft- and my thoughts I rather have control of my computer than someone else!!
S mode is one of the main reasons why I left windows for Linux. I’ve been slowly moving more and more towards Linux for a few years now and s mode was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Another pitfall to watch out for.
For some users who don't know much about what they are doing, it might be an ideal solution, but for users who have the necessary knowledge to work with their computers - it would be a disaster. I certainly won't agree to not being allowed to do customizations and settings on my own computer that I bought with my own money!
Agreed
In the Windows 10 S FAQ (at 0:50) it says "Microsoft's streamlined operating system", so I guess S-mode stands for "Streamlined mode"
Seems the most logical to me so far 👍
And as I have stated. Whatever S stands for, it's NOT SAFE!
@morganfbilbo4659 I would argue exactly the opposite of that. S-mode, by design, limiting people from basically doing anything on their own, makes Windows safer than "normal"
I always buy gaming laptops even though I don't game. They are just powerful and I'm a software engineer. First thing I do when I get a new one is wipe it completely and put Win 11 Pro on it (I have valid key) because they normally come with Home edition. As a developer I have to be able to download anything I want no matter who it's from. I could see how S-Mode might help people that just use computer for browsing the web and nothing else (my wife lol). I used to use 3rd party anti-virus apps but after Win 8.1 I've just used Defender and never had a problem. But then again I know what and not to click on :)
I use S mode in setting up PCs for Senior Citizens who are known for getting themselves into trouble. They don't seem to notice and it prevents repeated service calls.
Oh so it's people like you I have to blame for the call I got from a senior user who needed to reinstall his old fave apps and couldn't. Naughty! Bad, tsk tsk! lol
@spooky-3110 I didn't create S-mode. Talk to Bill 🤷♂️
I was hoping to be convinced to stay in s mode it's really starting to annoy me. Plus you don't have remote access on home addition. Good vlog very well explained. I'm a cabable user.
It has its benefits, but I think everyone should know their options 👍
To add context, I have been a heavy user of computers for almost 50 years. Recently I bought a little budget laptop to use when I travel about, and do little everyday things. I have found S mode to be fine for these activities, and it does seem to be performing faster and have better battery life than I would have expected. It boots faster than any computer I have ever worked with. Your concerns at the end about an inability to use 3rd party software for virus protection I also found to be important. However, I just checked the MS Store and found both McAfee and Norton offered there. Am I missing something important about this?
Every antivirus program runs differently. Some do a better job at detecting while others do a better job at cleaning up. When dealing with a bad infection, it's important to have the total toolset available.
Not at all. If the programs you want are available, you're good to go. But just because they are available in the Store doesn't mean they are "the best", just that they have been tested and certified to be clean 👍
Agreed!
you have your pc only to have antivirus??if that is the case ..why you have it from the first place..to have pc is mouch more then installing antivirus..it is you hole life stuck in there....i think you limit your answer....
This is why I make sure that I know what version I have on the system before I buy.
Well, I am a 75 year old senior. I just bought à New laptop to run my projects and laser. 1st thing for me was to install my security of choice.. Mcafee. That is when I discovered I had Windows S#1t mode. 2 difficult and frustrating days later and à Windows repair install, I have installed Mcafee. Now for the rest of my choices of what I want to do with my computer.
I knew about S mode. I found out when trying to install chrome on my friend’s laptop. I was aggravated. After watching this video I have a different opinion about it. I still don’t like Microsoft telling me what’s best for me. Personally I will never use S mode. I actually don’t even run Windows as my main system. I haven’t for years.
I always assumed the "S" stood for STORE, since MSFT allows only apps to be installed from the Microsoft "Store". Maybe it stands for "SECURE" mode. Eh, who knows?!
Best guess so far is "streamlined" because it was mentioned in a Microsoft FAQ about S-mode. Who knows? I should email Bill and ask 😂
Spy mode.
@darkstar92772 😂
Have just gone around and around the mulberry bush of trying to download Apache OpenSource Office....only to discover that its on the computer, but non accessible because of S mode. I don't want to pay a subscription to Microsoft for Office, it I can help it...... I would also be interested to know if I disable the S mode will the McAfee preinstalled security still be ok for my needs...I guess I could just forget about it and go with Google docs.....but how is the average person supposed to know....I am a bit more tech savy than the average 50yr old by by no means an expert.
Thanks for this! Had an old netbook with S mode on - would like to use it again but need to use Chrome for work stuff. Have disabled S mode.
For moment I thought that S-mode is an attempt of Microsoft of getting into immutable distros. And that would've been the solution: just rollback the changes since they're stored separately.
👍
This sounds like the worst of both words: Windows exposed to viruses but with an extra layer making scanning difficult, but perhaps there is a silver lining. Perhaps this individual's infection at 9:44 only partially deployed and that's why the only symptom was a "sluggish" start up. I would love to see Microsoft work on making one variant of Windows more secured and modern with less legacy support.
Agreed. My thoughts exactly 👍
Ideally Microsoft should be creating a larger variety of operating systems which match how users wish to use their computers.
Removing unnecessary components means less options for hackers and computer viruses.
@NTJedi excellent point! 👍
Thank you for the insight to the S mode. Saved me a lot of heartache. Regards.
Good deal!
No one, not a single person, was asking for an S-mode. This means its only purpose is for additional control under the guise of being “caring”. Shame on companies for wanting to control things after the have been purchased.
Not sure if it's about control. I'd be willing to accept it's an attempt to help users be safer. But they definitely should do a better job of telling people what S-mode actually is and how to easily turn it off 👍
Worked perfectly, thank you!!!
Awesome!
My view on "S" Mode? Same as Chromebooks! I've been a computer user for many years. I started with Commodore 64, the TRS-80, an old AT&T, then my first 386 with that wonderful color screen. I ran BBS systems on all these computers, loved FIDONet, played with virus creation and control, then upped the BBS game, beta testing BBS software for a creator. Basic, Cobal, Fortran, Flow Charts, Key Punch Cards, then the jump to better and more involved languages... Basically, I was on the "Internet" before AlGore created it! ;-) Obviously, that's a long set outlook that wouldn't exist with stuff like "S Mode"! This being said, I don't need or want Microsoft playing with and controlling it all. If Apple/Macintosh had way more extensive content...??? Thank God for Open-Source developers and folks like you telling it all! Thanks!
Very well said!
great video bud, blew me away again
Thank you, Iggs! We got this together, bad boys for life 💪👍
Thank you for this video until now i've never heard of S mode made my life a bit easier
You're welcome! I'm all about educating people 👍
WOW< Talk about easy !!! Thanks so much for this video, Just what I needed, easy easy. Thanks again.
You're welcome! 👍
Thank you, great video! I'm getting ready to get out of S mode. I couldn't install tax software which was a royal pain. And I can't use Draft Kings sports book because I can't install location app.
Excellent! Glad it helped!
I am glad I found your video a my Samsung galaxy book go, has s mode switched on. I'm trying to download sims 4 and ea. app but it isn't letting me. my dad wants to put his own Avast security antivirus software on my laptop, would he be able to with S mode switched on please? I want to turn it off and have full control as I had a google Chromebook and was so restricted of what apps I could use didn't like it at all.
You can install any app in the Microsoft store with S-mode enabled. Naturally that limits your software choices
So much for Sucker mode. Microsoft can't get enough people to use the Edge ad serving browser that they have found a way to force the average user to use it.
Exactly my thoughts 🥲
I never knew there was a microsoft S mode. For me it would be a waste of time and frustration. The browser I use has an s mode. I think it only stops me from downloading suspicious downloads or visiting suspicious sites. I don't think it does anything to the system. Anyway I never needed to use it. And never will. And thanks for the video. Now Iv'e got an idea of what i might be in for if i need to buy a new laptop.
I heard that you can't bypass the microsoft account and set-up a local account without deleting s-mode. I need confirmation about this and how do i know if my laptop has s-mode?.
I show in the video how to check if your machine is in S-mode. Not sure about switching to local in S-mode. I always disable it first so I'm not even sure. But here's how to change to local account regardless:
9 Windows settings EVERY user should change NOW!
th-cam.com/video/j70UOLVO4I4/w-d-xo.html
I agree that this video is worth viewing. But not sure if it applies to me. I don't think I've ever even thought about it. So, for the average person, isn't it best to just leave it alone/i.e. Forget it's even there? As for what the S stands for. It certainly is not "Safe".
Agreed. This is for people that discover they are in S mode, can't install apps or make changes and don't know why. And as info, how to disable the thing that's causing it 👍
I was totally blown away when I found out about the S mode. I have an old Canon printer and I cannot use it because the S mode won't allow the download of the app. I went into the Microsoft app store and found the Canon printer app. Guess what, my printer is not even on the Microsoft app. Am I dead in the water? I hope not.
Not every app in the Microsoft store is downloadable onto S Mode. I have S Mode and cant download some apps from the store.
Ain't that the truth!
I'm not sure why that would be the case. S-mode is specifically designed to *only* allow apps from the store 🤷♂️
@@AskYourComputerGuyIt's true. I couldn't download some of the apps there.
@user-dp9en7ir1y interesting. I would contact Microsoft if a specific app won't download without any errors to go with it
@@AskYourComputerGuy Why is Avast anti virus in the Microsoft store. I tried to get that app and it was blocked. There were others as well.
Thx for all ur videos.they r helpful
Glad you like them!
I have win 11 Home Edition but there’s no S Mode in the Activation menu. Did they already remove it? 😢
Hi! I need to install Respondus LockDown for online college tests but says "to get this app you need to switch out of s-mode". Will this be safe for my computer and do I need to download a security program if i do this?? Thanks for any help
S-mode is just Microsoft pretending to "protect" you. You can disable it but you can't re-enable it without doing a factory recovery. Just FYI
Thanks so much for your reply! Should I have an antivirus and if so, which is the best for free?
@melissafletcher3994 you definitely need antivirus program. You could stick with Windows Defender which isn't horrible, or go with a higher quality program like Eset. That's what I recommend. I also have a video coming out about Eset vs the program I used to use...so stay tuned!
www.jdoqocy.com/gi104wktqks79899C8DFH799EFEBDA
Having a user without supervisor privileges for surfing is one idea.
How does S-mode interact with VPN?
Unless it's a VPN available in the Microsoft store...it doesn't 🤷♂️
@@AskYourComputerGuy Thanks.
@SeanPat1001 👍
My hp laptop will not let me move out of s mode. I bought it new off Amazon. It is darker pink...think like 1910's pink. I really do not worry about it, I only use it for ordering groceries, banking, etc a few times a week. When we tried, the "blue get button" was greyed out. Windows 10
Windows 11 new laptop. Will not let me get out of s mode. Keeps saying try again later??? Please help.
start here:
answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/cant-switch-out-of-s-mode/a4637f8c-1984-4e58-be82-03f5b70dc274
I did not know about this “S” Mode.
If I had to guess…I would have said the old “Safe Mode” at startup. 🤔👍😊
👍
Awesome video! Even checked to see if i even had s-mode but my old machine no go!
Thank you, my friend 💪👍
@AskYourComputerGuy thank you, sir, for being a Teacher and educator! World could use more folks like you.
@dennissmith1469 I appreciate that 👍
S-Mode is microsoft's push for exclusivity with their store and edge which by the way hinders free-market competition.
For technicians it is a hindrance and if IT Management is relying on this for RMM they don't have much experience with real RMM solututions.
For better security the containment of all unknown processes done by xcitium is the way to go.
👍
Reinstalling is bs. They should just integrate S mode and P mode together instead of providing a seperate version. Let users to login the computer with the S/P mode switch. And making S mode more touch friendly.
My problem is that I have to use ProctorU with Guardian browser but S mode won’t allow it. S Mode also does not allow Zoom to be installed and I need that as well. If I disable S mode, it won’t be a big deal?
I didn't know that Microsoft had this "S" mode. I had no choice but to turn it off, because I needed to install AutoCADD for work.
This is a good video. Somehow, I think my desktop is a hi-bred with some S mode features. Now, here is a problem, I cannot get around. I HATE bing. Why can't I just do an old fashion Google search without interuption? Any ideas Computer Guy?
Did you check to see if you have S mode enabled? If you don't, then you have the full version. Any limitations might be as a result of being a standard user vs administrator, malware or corrupted Windows. Hard to say for sure at this point
I recently got given a laptop for my Birthday, it’s in S mode and I was wondering which would be better for going to university, turning it off or keeping it on?
Great question! S-mode is designed to protect you from accidently infecting your PC through malware or malicious software. If everything you need for school can be found in the Microsoft store, then I would leave it enabled. You don't need a malware attack the day before a final paper is due. Hope this answers your question
IDK but been having win10 bluescreens for 2 months started after the august update weird starts about 2:30 am or 2pm
anyway i persisted with looking at help fixes a few CMD sort of helped but now it actually d/loaded them stubborn kb files & stopped Definitely its microsoft hacking your PC
trying to get you into Win11 i also move my wc radiator higher that was below 3 years :) a few air bubbles anywway once you sort it you move on but save the doc's help incase cmd command
All of the malware seemed to be stuck in the downloads folder. Hence the malware didn't run. It is possible s mode did help somewhat
I knew there was an S mode; however, I do agree that it would be better if you could toggle between off and on. I am not a fan of Microsoft Edge, and do NOT like Bing at all.
Agreed!
👍👍 As Always, Thank You SO Much!!
My pleasure!
Thats a great video thumbail 👍
LOL thx
I'm not a big fan of S-Mode, but I am also not a big fan of TH-camrs who give advice to novice users to make adjustments in the registry or group policy or do things on the command line. Thankfully this channel has none or very little of this. About 2 weeks ago I had a comment removed because I blasted a channel owner for doing this. Just something as simple as changing a 0 to a 1 in the registry can cause boot cycling. Typing a \ when you mean / in a command line parameter "MIGHT" also do damage. Please leave the hood of your PC closed. About 2 years ago I was awakened by a phone call from a frantic person telling me their computer was not working right. They had an important paper stored there they needed to print out. I got up, put my clothes on got out in the cold winter night, and drove almost 20 miles. I had to take the hard drive out and find the Word file using a USB adapter on my laptop, but I did get it printed. Then reinstalled Windows. While working on the PC I was told that the husband had been "fixing" a working PC earlier. I can see the reasoning for S-mode, but all I can say is what happened to basic common sense?
Unfortunately, common sense isn't required with a PC purchase. And I do occasionally recommend certain tweaks, but I also go out of my way to make it clear this CAN or WILL break your Windows if you don't follow to the letter, as well as make sure I have a step by step screenshot follow-along. If you don't see what I see, stop immediately. But some people don't listen, they just click 🤷♂️
@@AskYourComputerGuy I was not talking about you. I was however using your channel to vent my frustration at some of the recklessness some so-called "experts" can be, and for that I apologize. This is somewhat off-topic, but I learned a few days ago about somebody buying a 6TB SAS drive that will not fit in the SATA slot. They listened to some "expert" and bought something they couldn't use. I can use it and paid them back the cost. TH-cam technical advice channels are getting to the point of being worse than Reddit. Good channels like yours is being drowned out by all the noise. Microsoft Engineers are in a hard place. How do you protect PC users from themselves?
@michaelmyers3016 oh I know you weren't talking about me specifically. I appreciate the confirmation. I was simply saying it's important to me to treat every viewer as if they are a personal client. I would never willingly put out a video that could potentially harm their PC or personal data without MANY disclaimers. I don't ever want to be lumped into the category of "typical tech TH-camr". I try to treat my channel like I do my personal business. Reputation is everything to me, and when I'm wrong (and it does happen), I'm the first to agree and make corrections 👍