Windows S Mode is a locked-down version of Windows 11 and 10 in which you can only install apps from the Microsoft Store, can't access the Registry or Group Policy Editor, and are stuck with Bing as your default browser. To install an app that isn't available in the Microsoft Store, you have to leave Windows S Mode and upgrade. But sometimes an error keeps you from switching out of S mode.
Try these 9 fixes to leave Windows S Mode for good.
1. Check the Microsoft server status
Windows S Mode has its pros and cons, and the only way out of it is through the Microsoft Store. But if Microsoft's servers go down for any reason, you'll run into trouble when you try to exit S mode. So check Microsoft's official service status page or the Microsoft Store page on X for outage reports.
You can also look at third-party sites such as Down Detector. If that turns out to be the cause, wait patiently until Microsoft fixes the problem. If you use a VPN service on your PC, disconnect from it temporarily and then try to exit S mode.
2. Check the Microsoft Update service
The Microsoft Update service handles all update-related tasks on your PC. If anything goes wrong with it, you have to restart it to get it working again.
1. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
2. Click Services.
3. Find the wauserv service in the list and right-click it. Select Restart.
4. Exit Task Manager.
3. Sign out and sign back in
You can try signing out of the Microsoft Store and then signing back in. After that, try exiting S mode again.
1. Launch the Microsoft Store.
2. Click Profile > Sign out.
3. Close the Microsoft Store app and launch it again.
4. Click Profile > Sign in, choose your Microsoft account, and click Continue.
5. Enter your PC's PIN and then finish signing in.
6. Try exiting S Mode again.
4. Update all Store apps
Outdated apps, including the Microsoft Store itself, can cause problems when you try to exit S mode. You need to update all of them from the Microsoft Store's updates section. Even updates for the Microsoft Store app are available there.
- Launch the Microsoft Store app.
- Go to the bottom-left area and click the Library icon.
- Click the Get updates button to check for all available updates.
- Click the Update all button.
- Wait for the updates to install, then close the Microsoft Store app.
- Restart your PC.
5. Set the correct date and time
Incorrect date and time settings on your PC can cause problems when installing or removing Windows features. So you need to manually sync your date and time settings with the Windows server.
1. Go to the notification area in the system tray and right-click the Date and time icon.
2. Click the Adjust date and time option.
3. Scroll down to the Additional settings section and click the Sync now button.
4. Close the Settings app.
6. Rename the SoftwareDistribuiton folder
The SoftwareDistribution folder holds temporary Windows update files. Rename the folder if there's a problem with apps or Windows updates. Windows will recreate the folder when you check for and download updates.
1. Open a Command Prompt window with admin rights.
2. Enter the following commands and press Enter to stop the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service:
net stop wuauserv
net stop bits3. Run the following command to rename the SoftwareDistribution folder:
rename %windir%\SoftwareDistribution SoftwareDistribution.bak4. Run the following commands to restart the Windows Update Service and the Background Intelligent Transfer Service:
net start wuauserv
net start bits
5. Close the Command Prompt window.
6. Restart your PC.
7. Reset the Microsoft Store
The Microsoft Store app can stop working properly because of corrupted cache files. So you need to reset the Microsoft Store through Settings or Terminal.
8. Re-register all system apps
If resetting the Microsoft Store doesn't solve the problem, you need to re-register all system apps, including the Microsoft Store. Here's how:
1. Open PowerShell with admin rights.
2. Enter the following command and press Enter to run it:
Get-AppXPackage -AllUsers |Where-Object {$_.InstallLocation -like "SystemApps"} | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}
3. Close the Command Prompt window and restart your PC.
9. Perform an in-place upgrade
You can perform an in-place upgrade on your Windows PC to leave S Mode. This is better than resetting your Windows PC, because an in-place upgrade preserves all the files, apps, and data stored on the C drive.
