this post was submitted on 10 Jul 2026
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Guessing it was in S mode - https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/experience/platform-variants/switching-out-of-s-mode-in-windows
I'm guessing the s stands for shit? otherwise they would say security, probably afraid of making the claim it's actually secure
it's intentionally completely vague so users don't know what they're getting when they buy it.
's mode' limits all application installs to store apps, which microsoft gets their standard fees for.. plus all the sweet user data and tracking that comes along for the ride.
turning 's mode' off (i.e. reverting to a standard install of windows) by 'normal' means requires installing a tool from the 'store' that requires a microsoft account to get, which then gets linked to your install and your pc.. so they get your info one way or the other.