Switch out of S mode in Windows 10 for Free  

I'm working on a cheap HP laptop that came with Windows 10S. This is my first experience with this brain dead OS and it really inhales vigorously.
It has a minuscule 32GB SSD that currently has 2.57GB free which explains why Reset didn't (I think). I'm running Disk cleanup now which will free up about 9.5GB and hopefully that will allow me to do a Reset.

My question is, right now if I go to Activation and click on Go to the store, nothing happens. Is there any other way I can get there to start the process of switching to a normal Windows 10 from 10S or do I have to get this OS working right first?

Wife hew HP Laptop HP 15-dy2132wm (bout at Walmart less than 2 weeks ago) came in S mode. I inadvertently set it up as a login with her MS account, which she did not want, and then I made her the Local Account/Administrator instead, but a real nightmare of name confusion, and it was using "One Drive" in the cloud which we did not want. We have slow internet and sometimes no internet for days, and we like ALL our files locally, not in a "cloud" server. Anyway...

I reset her computer and started over, and figured out to disconnect from the internet (turned off our modem) during set up so I could "make" her a local account, and not a MS login account. Turned on the DSL modem and then activated her HP Laptop Windows 10 in S mode. Just giving details for understanding....
After it was activated, I tried to get out of S mode like I did before, going to Settings, Update & Security, Activation and in the right I had the menu to get our of S mode by going to the MS Store and click on "GET" to get out of S mode like I did before.
PROBLEM: I clicked on the MS Store and the blue background popped up with the store symol in the center and then disappeared. On my laptop I did some search and it said to right click on Microsoft Store app and there were menus to "reset" it. So I did that but now when I try to go to Microsoft Store on her HP Laptop, I get a new popup message about not bieng found, and a message about use this app?? (Can't remember the exact verbage)

I see on forums that you can fix the MS Store app, but requires CMD or powershell to do it. Neither are available on her laptop running Windows 10 Home in S Mode.
Every time I go to run and enter either CMD or powershell I get an error, which Microsoft says you can't run CMD, Powershell, or Registry Editor (regedit) while in S mode. Kind of a catch 22.
She loves her Waterfox but can't install it or any other non Microsoft programs, like our subscription to PC Matic (which I did install on her HP laptop, before the reset, and after the FIRST time I had set the computer to get out of S Mode), and any other programs.

I downloaded the Microsoft Media Tool and got a current installation copy of Windows 10 written to a USB drive.
Coud I use that USB, while in her desktop to do a repair/install and keep the few documents she does have (which are already backed up on a 128GB USB 3 drive? Would resetting her computer again fix the MS Store app?

Any ideas how to get out of S mode not using Microsoft Store?
BTW, her HD is encrypted with Bit Locker. Not my doing, but maybe it is automatic in Windows 10 in S mode.
Any way to NOT have Bit Locker encrypt her volume?
THANKS

Addendum: The only programs on Pamela's HP Laptop are those apps/programs that came with Windows, and MS Office 2021 Pro . I installed that and switched the activation from her "Pamsparadise" laptop to this laptop.
So there are really not that much in programs in there.

- - - Updated - - -

Another thought. If I am going so far as to do a reset, and since we have her "profile" folder saved to a USB drive, why couldn't I just install a fresh copy of Windows 10 Home, and use her digital license key to activate it (I use a program to get the key when it was previously OUT of S mode.
Then I would not worry with trying to get out of S mode again, and just copy the files and folders from her saved "User" files back into the appropriate folders once set up, and then re-install MS Office 2021 Pro again. Would it be beneficial to get out of Bit Locker drive encryption in here settings BEFORE I do a new install?

Farvatten said:

So I have a question, which depending on the answer might help those struggling with getting out S-Mode such as @Gibbs.

Can't you just download the Media Creation Tool to a USB, 'clean' install a standard version of HOME and avoid the hassle of the Microsoft Store not working to turn off S-mode?

It's that activation code for HOME S-mode the exact same one for HOME?

Thank you for asking that as I too was wondering if the key is the same for Home -S or just plain Home.
I notice on her new HP Laptop that when I go into her Control Panel and look at BitLocker that it is turned on. My laptop (typing) and her older HP laptop have BitLocker turned off. Would it be prudent to turn it off before doing any resetting, etc, or using the USB Medial tool to install a clean copy of Windows 10 Home (not S mode) onto her new laptop?
Is the setting that tells this laptop it is running in S mode somewhere in the BIOS? Sometimes activation keys are stored in the BIOS in case of re-installing the OS.

Vern,

My reading of
Install Windows 10 in S Mode - TenForumsTutorials
is that an S-mode installation requires a specific installer.
So I think that constraint indicates that the perfectly normal installation you envisage will result in the normal [non-S-mode] Windows you want.

@Brink - Are you able to guide this user?

All the best,
Denis

Gibbs said:

Thank you for asking that as I too was wondering if the key is the same for Home -S or just plain Home.
I notice on her new HP Laptop that when I go into her Control Panel and look at BitLocker that it is turned on. My laptop (typing) and her older HP laptop have BitLocker turned off. Would it be prudent to turn it off before doing any resetting, etc, or using the USB Medial tool to install a clean copy of Windows 10 Home (not S mode) onto her new laptop?
Is the setting that tells this laptop it is running in S mode somewhere in the BIOS? Sometimes activation keys are stored in the BIOS in case of re-installing the OS.

Baring quick answers, there's always that method my boss use to recommend whenever I came to him with a good question - 'I don't know. Try it an see...!'


The Activation Code IS embedded in the motherboard chip ( bios ) but I suspect it's the same one for both.

And from my limited understanding, the HP Factory install is HOME but set to S-mode and is why turning it off can be so easy ( for some ) . BItLocker too I suspect is something HP does to 'help' protect the type of user for S-mode and would not happen with a clean install.

Therefore on a bare metal install, the only thing the machine ( via the bios ) cares about is what version it's licensed for, and in this case HOME.


Let me put it this way, if this were my dilemma, and my machine, I'd just 'clean' install HOME from the Media Creation Tool and be surprised if it DIDN'T work.

Read the TenForum tutorial about a Clean Install of Windows 10. I want to create a "Local Account" so bet do it when Pam is not using the internet for browsing or other. TURN OFF our DSL modem before the start of installation.

Was wondering about the BIOS Secure Boot, if it need to be left alone or turn it off?

Sounds pretty straight forward, and very similar to some of my earlier installs.
I think this may be the only way to circumvent the lack of Microsoft Store and fix the icon issue as well (Pictures don't show icons, just some form of a small graphic)