Windows 10 in S Mode

[Hacker26]

Hi Everyone

The following question is quite tricky and I haven’t found a active solution yet online for it.
I’ve got a Lenovo laptop which comes preinstalled with windows 10 Home in S mode. The Windows is activated with a digital license key in the BIOS.
To switch out of S mode there is a straightforward way to do it via the store. However for some reasons I had to use the reset functions of Windows and got rid of all the files and of the “first installation”. Obviously after the reset windows 10 is back in S mode (the info is inside the license key in the BIOS which doesn’t change unless you switched to another windows edition license). However to my big surprise the Microsoft store was gone which means that there is no way to switch out of the s mode unless you format and completely reinstall windows… Most of the solutions to get the store back work through powershell which is not supported on windows 10 s mode. I reinstalled windows on there which fixed the issue. But the question is: any ideas how to bypass s mode not through the store? There used to be ways through the registry but ms patched these holes. Any ideas where the s mode info is stored and can be modified let’s say through a live boot system? Any answers are greatly appreciated!

[Chocolate]

@Hacker26 This a thing I am looking for a solution for the longest time. I am willing to pay for someone to create a program that will take a computer out of S mode (I already posted it on UpWork and couldn’t get anyone, I guess no one knows how to do it).

[Hacker26]

There is a way to do it. I’m currently working with one of my fellow Devs to find the config setting of the s mode and the to pack the script in to a iso and boot it. I hacked once the s mode with a CMD script but I haven’t bothered trying it since… It’s basically changing the sethc to CMD and then click five times shift before you login to windows and then run the scrips from a usb… Not sure if it still works

[Hacker26]

By the way I have a script that changes the BIOS key which you could run from a live system like hiren or so. You just need a active internet connection.

[Chocolate]

@Hacker26 I need it as a program that you run from within Windows not with an external boot (possible? I believe so)

[Hacker26]

@Chocolate I don’t think that’s possible as windows in 10 s mode only allows trusted apps, and such a app won’t be trusted… Even when you enable the dev mode, it still doesn’t let you run external apps… That’s the whole point of s mode

[Chocolate]

@Hacker26 said in Windows 10 in S Mode:

@Chocolate I don’t think that’s possible as windows in 10 s mode only allows trusted apps, and such a app won’t be trusted… Even when you enable the dev mode, it still doesn’t let you run external apps… That’s the whole point of s mode

Thats the tricky part here, if you can do it through the store with a few clicks then there must be a way to outsmart it and trick Windows into believing that the same process that the store will do, that program should be able to do.

[Hacker26]

@Chocolate I’ll hopefully have a solution shortly iyh… It’s not the first time that MS puts something in our way…

[Chocolate]

I once saw a quote don’t remember where,

“Question: How many Technicians will Microsoft need to replace a light bulb?
Answer: None. They will make darkness the standard and force everyone to work according to it”

[yzahn]

@Chocolate said in Windows 10 in S Mode:

if you can do it through the store with a few clicks then there must be a way to outsmart it and trick Windows into believing that the same process that the store will do, that program should be able to do.

I don’t think your deduction is entirely correct
Store Apps are cryptographically signed by Microsoft and verified by the OS.
It is theoretically (barring a mistake on Microsoft’s part) close to impossible to create a program that spoofs that signature.

[Chocolate]

@yzahn You thik it’s poosible to fo from within Windows?

[yzahn]

@Chocolate I don’t know. My point was that the fact that a Store App can do it doesn’t mean that anyone can do it.

[TechWiz]

https://www.zdnet.com/article/microsoft-no-known-ransomware-windows-we-tried-to-hack-it/

[Hacker26]

Ok no problem… We will create a Macro with DLL injections… I dont need to go that far… I just wanna know in what part of the digital license key the info of the S mode is saved. What I mean is that when you reinstall Windows it automatically switches to S mode and even when you lets say upgrade to Pro it only changes that part of the license key which tells if its home or Pro. It still doesnt switch out of S mode! I testes and tried all that… If I can boot something up that might help I`d already be happy… Maybe passscape…

[Hacker26]

Here is a really usefull link!! Check it out https://www.reddit.com/r/Windows10/comments/fnon0c/windows_10_s_mode_no_more/

[Chocolate]

This is amazing (if it really works) will give it a try next time I have a S mode PC and will update

[Hacker26]

@Chocolate Do you mind making a quick video of the registry key editing when you get to it? Also did you ever come across that manufacturing mode before? I don’t really understand what the purpose of that mode is…

[Chocolate]

will try
Never saw this manufacturing mode, the purpose is quite clear

To run scripts, installers, and diagnostic tools on the factory floor, Windows 10 in S mode and Windows 10 S have a manufacturing mode. This mode allows you to run unsigned code in Audit Mode.

[TechWiz]

I am having a hard time believing that a change in a registry key will work, I might be wrong but as far as I know even if you install a new Win 10 OS on a S PC it will automatically be locked in S mode.