Out of both S mode and in Windows 10 Home now....
The other day I had downloaded a Windows 10 ISO using the media creation tool (to be used on another computer) SAVED the iso files as Windows21-H2_.iso (so I could remember it was Windows 10) to a folder in my C:\Users\Vernon
I went to my domain host, where I created a new email for Jim. This way I knew the username, and password. Set up my Pop Peeper email client with Jim's email and password and checked it out so it would work. It did.
Got his computer up and running, AND managed to get him as a Local Account/Administrator. I don't know how, now, since the Windows 11 set up gave NO option for "I don't have internet connection" so I had to connect to the internet to compete the initial set up.
Once he was set up on Windows 11, I let it run a while and get some updates and changed the time zone to Eastern (where I am) and corrected the time.
THEN I went to settings and found the Exit S Mode part and clicked on the store, and then followed the "GET" button on Microsoft Store.
Next step was to get out of Windows 11 to Windows 10. I found a reference to the procedure on a Microsoft Web site
Downgrading from Windows 11 to Windows 10 and it noted to follow the Window10 Forum guide to set up Windows 10. inked HERE (He said follow instructions 4. on down :
Custom Install Windows 10
Basically what I did was copy the ISO file I had on my computer over to Jim's desktop and then I right clicked on it and choose "MOUNT" When mounted I went to the folder "Services" and scrolled down to where I found "Setup.exe" and clicked it. DOING this all while in Windows 11 running. It went from there and set up some files and rebooted. FIRST TIME I did not notice much of an issue when I clicked on the large Partition that I KNEW contained the Windows 11 OS. It told me there was a previous Windows in there and would name it windows.old THEN the BLUE SCREEN - which i let it reboot and it did it again. Seems it was an error as it cold not find the storage device. SO....
Next time it came up with the screen where to install Windows 10, I inserted a drive that had the Intel RST drivers I had previously downloaded form HP website. Went to folder named F6, choose it and then the Intel driver for the NVMe hard drive showed up and I choose it. THEN it loaded the driver, and continued on with the notices of a previous Windows in the partition i wanted to install to, and it would rename it Windows.old. After that, I got more info as things like Downloading updates, etc etc NOW proceeded as normal.
When I got done, I had no internet, no sound, etc. Hmm seen this before..... so I had followed another TenForums guide on how to back up and restore device drivers, and I had done that to my wife's previous computer (which is basically this same HP Laptop but came with Windows 10 rather than Windows 11 in S mode) I copied the folder that had ALL the drivers for the HP 15-dy2132wm laptop to the new "Jim" computer that was now in Windows 10 Home (no S mode) and run the BATCH files that I had downloaded to 1. Back up all the drivers, 2. Restore all the drivers. So, after running the batch file and pointing to the Drivers Backup folder I copied into the "Jim" computer, it went though and installed ALL the drivers and low and behold, sound came back up and Network and other things came back up. THEN I connected to our DSL modem and it was able to activate the Window 10 Home and then continue on to install new updates.
He now has Windows 10 Home, set up as a Local User Account, and is ACTIVATED with the Windows 11 key buried in the BIOS.
The Batch file for backup and restore drivers is REALLY helpful.
SOLVED!!
