14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has decided to turn Windows 10 S with a stand-alone mode for the operating system, this way giving users more control over this feature that basically restricts the use of Win32 software.
Furthermore, the newly-called Windows 10 S Mode would be available for more versions of Windows 10, after previously allowing users to upgrade exclusively to the Pro SKU.
And as it turns out, Microsoft is readying a feature that would enable everyone to “Switch to S Mode” straight from the Settings app, making the process a seamless task that would only come down to a few simple steps.
Windows 10 build 17686, which is the most recent release as part of the Windows Insider program for Fast and Skip Ahead rings, includes a hint that switching to S Mode will likely be a feature of the Redstone 5 update due in the fall. Launching the Settings app and typing S Mode triggers a suggestion called Switch to S Mode, which doesn’t yet work and gets you to the activation page.
S Mode already available for Windows 10 April 2018 Update
As Thurrott writes, this feature could allow users to go both ways, which means that Microsoft could make the process of enabling and disabling S Mode very seamless. Previously, re-enabling Windows 10 S mode required users to re-install the operating system using an image.
While Windows 10 Redstone 5 is still work in progress, therefore it’ll take longer until Microsoft ships this feature to everyone, S Mode can already be enabled in Windows 10 April 2018 Update with several tweaks, obviously not as convenient as this straightforward method.
The installation ISO can be modified to enable S mode, and as it’s the case of Windows 10 S, users can’t re-enable it after reverting to the normal mode.
It remains to be seen how S Mode will evolve in Windows 10 by the time Redstone 5 gets the green light, as further improvements will most likely make their way to preview builds in the coming months.