Saw an ad listing a very nice Core i3 11 series laptop for a really
righteous price. It's perfect for me-- except for the OS being Windows
11 S which I understand can only load apps/software from the Microsoft
store.

Any way around this knockout limitation? Back in the day, you could
jailbreak iPhones to load apps not from the Apple app store

--
I know things and I fix stuff

Wade Garrett wrote:

> the OS being Windows
> 11 S which I understand can only load apps/software from the Microsoft
> store.
> Any way around this knockout limitation?

Yes, piece of piss

<https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/switching-out-of-s-mode-in-windows-4f56d9be-99ec-6983-119f-031bfb28a307#WindowsVersion=Windows_11>

On 19-Jun-23 9:29 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:
> Saw an ad listing a very nice Core i3 11 series laptop for a really
> righteous price. It's perfect for me-- except for the OS being Windows
> 11 S which I understand can only load apps/software from the Microsoft
> store.
>
> Any way around this knockout limitation? Back in the day, you could
> jailbreak iPhones to load apps not from the Apple app store
>
Nothing should prevent you from doing a full reinstall and using your
own license.
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d

Make a bootable USB with win10/home/pro/whatever, reinstall it, then
once you finish the OOBE (or during, I can't remember, it's been a while
since I reinstalled windows) it'll ask you for your license.

Once installed and activated, you can reinstall and as long as microsoft
has your HWID/license, it'll activate again once it gets online. So you
could, for example, just reinstall w10 s, and it'll activate as the key
is stored in the bios and the HWID is already with microsoft.
Once you activate it with home/pro, the same is true for that version.

Regardless, receiving a second hand computer, for me at least, the drive
does need to be wiped and the OS needs reinstalled. True for any
computer bought second hand.

justaW <justaw@noreply.invalid> wrote:
>On 19-Jun-23 9:29 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:
>
>> Saw an ad listing a very nice Core i3 11 series laptop for a really
>> righteous price. It's perfect for me-- except for the OS being Windows
>> 11 S which I understand can only load apps/software from the Microsoft
>> store.
>>
>> Any way around this knockout limitation? Back in the day, you could
>> jailbreak iPhones to load apps not from the Apple app store
>>
>Nothing should prevent you from doing a full reinstall and using your
>own license.
>https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d
>
>Make a bootable USB with win10/home/pro/whatever, reinstall it, then
>once you finish the OOBE (or during, I can't remember, it's been a while
>since I reinstalled windows) it'll ask you for your license.
>
>Once installed and activated, you can reinstall and as long as microsoft
>has your HWID/license, it'll activate again once it gets online. So you
>could, for example, just reinstall w10 s, and it'll activate as the key
>is stored in the bios and the HWID is already with microsoft.
>Once you activate it with home/pro, the same is true for that version.
>
>Regardless, receiving a second hand computer, for me at least, the drive
>does need to be wiped and the OS needs reinstalled. True for any
>computer bought second hand.

Poor advice, Andy Burns beat me to linking the OP to the correct
material on Microsoft's site.

--
Joel Crump

On 19-Jun-23 9:52 AM, Joel wrote:
> justaW <justaw@noreply.invalid> wrote:
>> On 19-Jun-23 9:29 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:
>>
>>> Saw an ad listing a very nice Core i3 11 series laptop for a really
>>> righteous price. It's perfect for me-- except for the OS being Windows
>>> 11 S which I understand can only load apps/software from the Microsoft
>>> store.
>>>
>>> Any way around this knockout limitation? Back in the day, you could
>>> jailbreak iPhones to load apps not from the Apple app store
>>>
>> Nothing should prevent you from doing a full reinstall and using your
>> own license.
>> https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d
>>
>> Make a bootable USB with win10/home/pro/whatever, reinstall it, then
>> once you finish the OOBE (or during, I can't remember, it's been a while
>> since I reinstalled windows) it'll ask you for your license.
>>
>> Once installed and activated, you can reinstall and as long as microsoft
>> has your HWID/license, it'll activate again once it gets online. So you
>> could, for example, just reinstall w10 s, and it'll activate as the key
>> is stored in the bios and the HWID is already with microsoft.
>> Once you activate it with home/pro, the same is true for that version.
>>
>> Regardless, receiving a second hand computer, for me at least, the drive
>> does need to be wiped and the OS needs reinstalled. True for any
>> computer bought second hand.
>
>
> Poor advice, Andy Burns beat me to linking the OP to the correct
> material on Microsoft's site.
>

Regardless, reinstalling an OS on a second hand computer should be the
path you take. You have no way to verify that the OS is secure and that
they didn't (intentionally or unintentionally) install something
malicious on the computer.

Upgrading from S to Home would be the proper way to do it on a device
that you have already owned, but not on a second hand computer. You
don't know what is on it, it can't be considered secured unless you do a
wipe.

justaW <justaw@noreply.invalid> wrote:

>>> Regardless, receiving a second hand computer, for me at least, the drive
>>> does need to be wiped and the OS needs reinstalled. True for any
>>> computer bought second hand.
>>
>> Poor advice, Andy Burns beat me to linking the OP to the correct
>> material on Microsoft's site.
>
>Regardless, reinstalling an OS on a second hand computer should be the
>path you take. You have no way to verify that the OS is secure and that
>they didn't (intentionally or unintentionally) install something
>malicious on the computer.
>
>Upgrading from S to Home would be the proper way to do it on a device
>that you have already owned, but not on a second hand computer. You
>don't know what is on it, it can't be considered secured unless you do a
>wipe.

I could understand your point, but I'm not convinced that the OP's
installation's freshness is at issue, here. It just sounds like a
simple matter of exiting S mode.

--
Joel Crump

On 6/19/23 9:59 AM, justaW wrote:
> On 19-Jun-23 9:52 AM, Joel wrote:
>> justaW <justaw@noreply.invalid> wrote:
>>> On 19-Jun-23 9:29 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:
>>>
>>>> Saw an ad listing a very nice Core i3 11 series laptop for a really
>>>> righteous price. It's perfect for me-- except for the OS being Windows
>>>> 11 S which I understand can only load apps/software from the Microsoft
>>>> store.
>>>>
>>>> Any way around this knockout limitation? Back in the day, you could
>>>> jailbreak iPhones to load apps not from the Apple app store
>>>>
>>> Nothing should prevent you from doing a full reinstall and using your
>>> own license.
>>> https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d
>>>
>>> Make a bootable USB with win10/home/pro/whatever, reinstall it, then
>>> once you finish the OOBE (or during, I can't remember, it's been a while
>>> since I reinstalled windows) it'll ask you for your license.
>>>
>>> Once installed and activated, you can reinstall and as long as microsoft
>>> has your HWID/license, it'll activate again once it gets online. So you
>>> could, for example, just reinstall w10 s, and it'll activate as the key
>>> is stored in the bios and the HWID is already with microsoft.
>>> Once you activate it with home/pro, the same is true for that version.
>>>
>>> Regardless, receiving a second hand computer, for me at least, the drive
>>> does need to be wiped and the OS needs reinstalled. True for any
>>> computer bought second hand.
>>
>>
>> Poor advice, Andy Burns beat me to linking the OP to the correct
>> material on Microsoft's site.
>>
>
> Regardless, reinstalling an OS on a second hand computer should be the
> path you take. You have no way to verify that the OS is secure and that
> they didn't (intentionally or unintentionally) install something
> malicious on the computer.
>
> Upgrading from S to Home would be the proper way to do it on a device
> that you have already owned, but not on a second hand computer. You
> don't know what is on it, it can't be considered secured unless you do a
> wipe.

Actually, it's a new computer sold by a retailer.

--
There is no problem so bad that you can’t make it worse.
- Chris Hadfield

On 6/19/23 9:34 AM, Andy Burns wrote:
> Wade Garrett wrote:
>
>> the OS being Windows 11 S which I understand can only load
>> apps/software from the Microsoft store.
>> Any way around this knockout limitation?
>
> Yes, piece of piss
>
> <https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/switching-out-of-s-mode-in-windows-4f56d9be-99ec-6983-119f-031bfb28a307#WindowsVersion=Windows_11>
>
>
Great, thanks!

--
I know things and I fix stuff

Wade Garrett <wade@cooler.net> wrote:
>On 6/19/23 9:59 AM, justaW wrote:
>> On 19-Jun-23 9:52 AM, Joel wrote:
>>> justaW <justaw@noreply.invalid> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Regardless, receiving a second hand computer, for me at least, the drive
>>>> does need to be wiped and the OS needs reinstalled. True for any
>>>> computer bought second hand.
>>>
>>> Poor advice, Andy Burns beat me to linking the OP to the correct
>>> material on Microsoft's site.
>>
>> Regardless, reinstalling an OS on a second hand computer should be the
>> path you take. You have no way to verify that the OS is secure and that
>> they didn't (intentionally or unintentionally) install something
>> malicious on the computer.
>>
>> Upgrading from S to Home would be the proper way to do it on a device
>> that you have already owned, but not on a second hand computer. You
>> don't know what is on it, it can't be considered secured unless you do a
>> wipe.
>
>Actually, it's a new computer sold by a retailer.

Yeah, Mr. Burns handled your question correctly. I think justaW means
well, but wasn't giving you the needed response.

--
Joel Crump

On 6/19/2023 9:52 AM, Joel wrote:
> justaW <justaw@noreply.invalid> wrote:
>> On 19-Jun-23 9:29 AM, Wade Garrett wrote:
>>
>>> Saw an ad listing a very nice Core i3 11 series laptop for a really
>>> righteous price. It's perfect for me-- except for the OS being Windows
>>> 11 S which I understand can only load apps/software from the Microsoft
>>> store.
>>>
>>> Any way around this knockout limitation? Back in the day, you could
>>> jailbreak iPhones to load apps not from the Apple app store
>>>
>> Nothing should prevent you from doing a full reinstall and using your
>> own license.
>> https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/create-installation-media-for-windows-99a58364-8c02-206f-aa6f-40c3b507420d
>>
>> Make a bootable USB with win10/home/pro/whatever, reinstall it, then
>> once you finish the OOBE (or during, I can't remember, it's been a while
>> since I reinstalled windows) it'll ask you for your license.
>>
>> Once installed and activated, you can reinstall and as long as microsoft
>> has your HWID/license, it'll activate again once it gets online. So you
>> could, for example, just reinstall w10 s, and it'll activate as the key
>> is stored in the bios and the HWID is already with microsoft.
>> Once you activate it with home/pro, the same is true for that version.
>>
>> Regardless, receiving a second hand computer, for me at least, the drive
>> does need to be wiped and the OS needs reinstalled. True for any
>> computer bought second hand.
>
>
> Poor advice, Andy Burns beat me to linking the OP to the correct
> material on Microsoft's site.
>

It's a valid option. Examples of valid options:

1) OS misbehave. Use the mains power switch on it.

This triggers the recovery procedure that uses WinRE.wim.

Use "reagentc /info" and verify now, that there is a valid pointer
to WinRE.wim , while your machine is serviceable. And then you
know you are ready, or that something is set up. I have seen many
different mis-configs here, so you have to check this.

I do not recommend this for SSD or eMMC based platforms, because
I have no clue as to what the risks are of hitting the power on those.
Hard drive based machines, I am pretty confident they will survive.
And NTFS is robust, the registry is protected at two levels.

2) Installing the same version of OS (Repair Install), can fix some
minor classes of problems. Maybe your WinSxS will stop whining.
This does not do a clean sweep of the Registry, and a Repair Install
is unlikely to remove malware.

3) A clean install, has many possibilities. It's clean, for a start, and
it's a lot of work getting back to where you were. This is an option
when any sort of decent malware has climbed aboard.

What we need to know about the license key stored in ACPI MSDM table,
is whether it is specifically marked as W10-S or it just says W10.
I don't have the materials to test this here, but the OP seems
to be doing this a lot, and he can run this case for us and tell
us whether installing non-S SKU activates properly by itself,
with no SLUI or slmgr help.

The bloatware on the C: drive, is just as likely to contain an
Exploit, as to include Free Cake. I see absolutely no value to the
software the manufacturer throws in. Or any of those fucking exploits
they've been putting in their UEFI.

When you lack the skills (as I do), you keep all these things in mind.
For example, I can't fix malware, worth a darn. Not trained for it.
You really need training to do that, which the staff at bleepingcomputer
get. Mainly, it's a flow chart, a basic set of tools (Doctors Bag),
makes a difference. I have no idea who is crafting their "removal scripts",
as those are custom. When something custom shows up (unique malware),
the "tea drinker guy" takes over. I suspect he has some other people
on speed dial. It takes a village.

Paul