Windows 11 S mode makes your system more secure by only allowing app downloads from the Microsoft Store and imposing other restrictions. Although Microsoft lets you turn off S mode in a few simple steps, the process doesn’t always go smoothly. If you’re having trouble exiting S mode in Windows 11, this guide will help you fix the problem.
It should be noted that exiting Mode S is a one-way process. Once you exit S Mode, you can’t go back. However, if you need software that is not available in the Microsoft Store, you must exit S mode.
Here are some troubleshooting tips you can try if you can’t get out of S mode despite trying several times.
1. Exit S mode using Microsoft Store page link
If you don’t see an option to exit S mode in the Settings app, you can use the following link to go directly to the “Turn off S mode” page on the Microsoft Store.
On the Exit S Mode page, click the Get button and follow the on-screen instructions to exit S Mode.
2. Start or restart Windows Update service
The Windows Update service (or wuauserv) is a small program that helps detect, download and install updates for Windows and its applications. You may have difficulty exiting S mode if the service is not running in the background. Here’s how to check.
Step 1: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type services.msc in the Open field and press Enter.
2nd step: In the Services window, scroll down to locate the wuauserv service in the list. Right-click on it and select Start. If the service is already running, select Restart.
After completing the above steps, try exiting S mode.
3. Clear Microsoft Store Cache
Since exiting S Mode requires you to use Microsoft Store, problems with the Store app can cause such anomalies. You can try clearing the existing Microsoft Store cache to see if that improves the situation.
To clear the Microsoft Store cache, press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Type wsreset.exe in the Open field and press Enter.
A blank command prompt window will appear and run the command. After clearing the cache, Microsoft Store will launch automatically. Then you can use the link of the first method above to get out of S mode.
4. Repair or reset the Windows Store app
If clearing the cache doesn’t work, you can try repairing the Microsoft Store app by following the steps below.
Step 1: Open the Start menu and click on the gear icon to launch the Settings app.
2nd step: Switch to the Applications tab and click Installed Applications.
Step 3: Scroll down or use the search bar to locate Microsoft Store in the list. Click on the three-dot menu icon next to it and select Advanced options.
Step 4: Scroll down to the Reset section and click Repair.
Windows will attempt to repair the Microsoft Store app, after which you should be able to exit S mode.
If repairing the app doesn’t help, you can try resetting the Microsoft Store from the same menu. Note that this will delete all app data and reset Microsoft Store to its default state.
5. Create a new user account
Problems with your current user account can also prevent you from exiting S mode in Windows 11. If this seems to be the case, you can create and switch to a new user account. Here’s how:
Step 1: Press Windows Key + I to open the Settings app. Go to the Accounts tab and click Other Users.
2nd step: Click the Add Account button.
Step 3: Follow the on-screen prompts to create a new user account.
Log in with your new account and try exiting S mode again.
6. Wait a moment and try again
Disabling S mode implies that the Micorosft servers accept your request after verifying all the necessary details. If the Microsoft servers are having problems, you may see the “Try again later” message. Something went wrong in the error message on our end. In this case, your best option is to wait and then try to exit S mode again.
No more borders
Although S mode provides better security and performance, you may want to turn it off for various reasons. Exiting S mode will allow you to install your favorite third-party apps from the web and access command-line tools in Windows. Hope the above solutions were helpful and you managed to get out of S mode.
