New laptop setup - S mode nonsense

tns1 · Nov 19, 2024

I just picked up a new Ideapad laptop with Win11 home S mode.

Initially I only want a local account, and I plan to install Open Shell and Libre Office. I understand that I will need to disable S mode, and perform one of the tricks (ie bogus username,password) to bypass the MS account setup. From what I have read, the S mode will prevent me from booting a Macrium USB for imaging until after I have gone thru the initial OOBE setup phase, then disabling SecureBoot. Maybe there is no value in making that image earlier anyway.

Am I missing anything?

Megahertz · Nov 19, 2024

Switch out of S mode in Windows 11

This tutorial will show you how to switch out of S mode in Windows 11. Windows 11 in S mode is a "secure" version of Windows 11 that is streamlined for security and performance, while providing a familiar Windows experience. To increase security, it allows only apps from Microsoft Store, and...

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On the PC: Settings > Accounts > Your Info > sign in with a Local Account instead. That should do it.

glasskuter · Nov 19, 2024

Couple of things to be aware of.
If you do not want to be tied to Onedrive, setting up with a MS account and then changing it to a local account as was suggested DOES NOT unlink Onedrive. It would still have to dealt with to get the default folder locations of your user folders back on your system drive. Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing Across Windows 11 Devices Tutorial

The only way to prevent being automatically linked to Onedrive at all is to create a local account during OOBE OR set up with a MS account during OOBE and then create a second local account (be sure to make administrator user type) Log in to local account and delete the MS account.

The laptop will have device encryption automatically turned on by default. Turn On or Off Device Encryption in Windows 11 Tutorial

Berton · Nov 19, 2024

glasskuter said:
Couple of things to be aware of.
If you do not want to be tied to Onedrive, setting up with a MS account and then changing it to a local account as was suggested DOES NOT unlink Onedrive. It would still have to dealt with to get the default folder locations of your user folders back on your system drive. Turn On or Off OneDrive Folder Backup Syncing Across Windows 11 Devices Tutorial

The only way to prevent being automatically linked to Onedrive at all is to create a local account during OOBE OR set up with a MS account during OOBE and then create a second local account (be sure to make administrator user type) Log in to local account and delete the MS account.

The laptop will have device encryption automatically turned on by default. Turn On or Off Device Encryption in Windows 11 Tutorial

For the Account I set a second with a slightly different User name [keep files separated] as Local with Admin.

The encryption was automatic with a clean install of 23H2 which then updated to 24H2, I'm wavering as to keep or not. Only issue I've seen so far is that every once in awhile I boot a Linux LiveUSB and it can't access a Bitlocker'd drive and passkey not given by the setup.

tns1 · Nov 19, 2024

My expectation from reading posts was I could get past the 1st boot setup without an MS acct, or Onedrive, or Bitlocker ever rearing their ugly heads. Turning these off after the fact was not in my plans. It seems I was reading old posts and what I want may not be possible unless I clean install using Rufus. I can do that, but then I lose the original factory image unless I pull that SSD and either swap it or image it using a different box. Crazytown.

Berton · Nov 19, 2024

Win11 is doing more things in the name of 'security', just have to figure out what is desired then how to get it. Supposedly Bitlocker is/was not for the Home version but it is on my 24H2 Home edition.

thepineapple · Nov 19, 2024

glasskuter said:
The only way to prevent being automatically linked to Onedrive at all is to create a local account during OOBE

This can also be done in S mode. I recently discovered a way to do this for S mode devices. See my post below

New Local Account Method (Access Unused Setup Screen, S Mode Supported)

Hey everyone, I have recently put together a brand new method that can be used to bypass the Microsoft Account requirement for the Windows 11 setup. The benefit of this new method is that it can get through setup faster than the well-known OOBE\BYPASSNRO method. Additionally, devices shipped...

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Once they have finished setup, they can then get out of S mode using the methods linked in the first comment of this thread.

tns1 · Nov 20, 2024

My initial attempts to bypass the MS acct creation failed.
Entering a bogus email or user login did not get me to the local acct screen, and initially Shift-F10 did nothing.
I was able to get into Bios and disable WiFi, SecureBoot, and a thing called Hotkey mode which was a key shortcut
for function keys. After that I was able to use the Shift-F10 and OOBE\BYPASSNRO magic.

I had prepared a Rufus USB stick, and I may use it later after I get this factory image backed up.
Rufus devs have a nice list of configuration options for W11 installs such as:
TPM requirements, secureboot, bitlocker, MS acct requirement, pre-creation of local user acct, data collection, privacy questions
Maybe they will add more items (Onedrive, etc) to this list so it can prevent bloat up front.

andrew129260 · Nov 20, 2024

I would take it back and get any other computer in my opinion. Any computer running on windows s mode is not worth the money spent on it. You can buy any refurbished unit on amazon that would run circles around it.

tns1 · Nov 20, 2024

I haven't finished configuring it yet, but I checked and the steps I took above seem to have disabled S mode.

andrew129260 · Nov 20, 2024

tns1 said:
I haven't finished configuring it yet, but can't I can easily switch off S mode if it isn't already off?
I checked and the steps I took above seem to have disabled S mode.

sure you can disable S mode. That's not the problem. I am saying the money spent on it for any machine running S mode the performance and everything is quite poor than anything else you could buy. I am saying your better off buying literally anything other than a machine that runs S mode. Even older stuff that's refurbished.

A machine set to S mode by default is usually a very low specs bottom of the barrel tech. Your money would be spent better on anything else. They are a terrible value.

Hope that makes sense.

tns1 · Nov 20, 2024

This laptop is for my mom, and the specs far exceed her requirements at a fraction of the price I expected: Ryzen [email protected], 16GB, 512GB SSD. Quite capable of checking email and playing solitaire. There was a lower tier that would have worked fine, but we went for a little more. If she decides to become an Esports pro, she may have to upgrade.

andrew129260 · Nov 20, 2024

tns1 said:
This laptop is for my mom, and the specs far exceed her requirements at a fraction of the price I expected: Ryzen 7, 16GB, 512GB SSD. Quite capable of checking email and playing solitaire. There was a lower tier that would have worked fine, but we went for a little more. If she decides to become an Esports pro, she may have to upgrade.

wow thats quite good specs for a S mode laptop. Looks like you got one of the good ones then.

Weird something like that would launch with s mode....

cereberus · Nov 20, 2024

tns1 said:
My initial attempts to bypass the MS acct creation failed.
Entering a bogus email or user login did not get me to the local acct screen, and initially Shift-F10 did nothing.
I was able to get into Bios and disable WiFi, SecureBoot, and a thing called Hotkey mode which was a key shortcut
for function keys. After that I was able to use the Shift-F10 and OOBE\BYPASSNRO magic.

I had prepared a Rufus USB stick, and I may use it later after I get this factory image backed up.
Rufus devs have a nice list of configuration options for W11 installs such as:
TPM requirements, secureboot, bitlocker, MS acct requirement, pre-creation of local user acct, data collection, privacy questions
Maybe they will add more items (Onedrive, etc) to this list so it can prevent bloat up front.

This was post #8 - read the post litterally before i.e. post #7!

The post #7 method allows you to create a local account with S versions.

I tried it and after a couple of false starts (case sensitive input), got it to work fine.

thepineapple · Nov 20, 2024

cereberus said:
This was post #8 - read the post litterally before i.e. post #7!

The post #7 method allows you to create a local account with S versions.

I tried it and after a couple of false starts (case sensitive input), got it to work fine.

Too late now lol. Don't worry, the method will circulate in enough time.

tns1 · Nov 20, 2024

Once I saw the Bios Hotkey option and how it might interfere with Fx key use, I had to test it. I would have gotten to the Ctrl-Shift-J method eventually.

Megahertz · Nov 20, 2024

tns1 said:
My expectation from reading posts was I could get past the 1st boot setup without an MS acct, or Onedrive, or Bitlocker ever rearing their ugly heads. Turning these off after the fact was not in my plans. It seems I was reading old posts and what I want may not be possible unless I clean install using Rufus. I can do that, but then I lose the original factory image unless I pull that SSD and either swap it or image it using a different box. Crazytown.

You can start over doing a reset.

Reset Windows 11 PC

This tutorial will show you how to reset Windows 11 and Remove everything or Keep my files. You can reset Windows 11 when your PC isn’t working well and it’s been a while since you installed an app, driver, or update. Resetting reinstalls Windows 11, but lets you choose whether to keep your...

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New laptop setup - S mode nonsense

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