Fix Windows S Mode Switch Failure with Microsoft Store Error

draft · os-and-system s-modewindows-11system-error

Generated by docuprocessor (prompt article/v3) · 2026-04-22 08:13

Source thread

thread_id: spaces/AAAA05BdS6s/threads/ED39vuIqyD4 · 6 msgs · first 2024-06-24 · participants: Tech ATech B

Tech A 2024-06-24 15:01

I'm having issues getting out of s mode, I ran windows and Microsoft store updates. I also created another admin account, it keeps failing

image/png image.png

**Screen capture of a Windows "Switch out of S mode" page.** The page displays the title "Switch out of S mode" and body text warning that switching is irreversible and that S mode offers security, speed, and simplicity via Microsoft-verified apps and Microsoft Edge. A single active button labeled **"Try again"** (cyan/blue) is visible, indicating a prior switch attempt did not complete successfully.

Tech B 2024-06-24 15:02

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/switching-out-of-s-mode-in-windows-4f56d9be-99ec-6983-119f-031bfb28a307

Tech A 2024-06-24 15:03

yes, this website will redirect you to the store and when I try to switch out of the s mode, I'm getting this error message

image/png image.png

**Screen displays:** "Switch out of S mode" heading with an explanatory message warning that the action is irreversible. A **"Try again" button** is visible, along with the error message at the bottom: **"Something happened and we couldn't start the upgrade."** No error codes are present; the upgrade process has failed to initiate.

Tech B 2024-06-24 15:15

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/i-cant-switch-out-windows-10-in-s-mode-to-windows/643e171b-6522-4b00-8eee-054f672c84a1

Tech B 2024-06-24 15:15

(no text)

image/png image.png

The image shows a Microsoft community forum reply from user "crionsynx" (Independent Advisor), dated May 5, 2020, providing a PowerShell command to re-register the Microsoft Store app: **`Get-AppXPackage *WindowsStore* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}`**. The post includes a reference URL to Microsoft Support article **445606** regarding switching out of Windows S Mode. No error codes, hardware indicators, or physical equipment are visible.

Tech A 2024-06-24 19:00

guess what, you can't even open powershell with s mode 🙃 I downloaded another powershell version from the Microsoft Store developed by Microsoft, but it doesn't recognize the command. I opened a ticket

---
title: "Fix Windows S Mode Switch Failure with Microsoft Store Error"
category: os-and-system
tags: ["s-mode", "windows-11", "system-error"]
source_thread_id: "spaces/AAAA05BdS6s/threads/ED39vuIqyD4"
source_space: "spaces/AAAA05BdS6s"
generated_at: "2026-04-22T08:13:15"
participants: ["Tech A", "Tech B"]
---

# Fix Windows S Mode Switch Failure with Microsoft Store Error

## Problem
Windows S Mode switch fails with error message "Something happened and we couldn't start the upgrade" when attempting to switch out of S Mode through the Microsoft Store. The switch process redirects to the Microsoft Store as expected, but the upgrade fails to initiate. Standard troubleshooting steps including Windows updates, Microsoft Store updates, and creating additional admin accounts do not resolve the issue.

## Resolution
This issue requires escalation to Microsoft support as standard PowerShell remediation commands cannot be executed in S Mode. The typical Microsoft Store re-registration command `Get-AppXPackage *WindowsStore* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}` is not accessible because S Mode restricts PowerShell access. Even alternative PowerShell versions from the Microsoft Store do not recognize the required commands.

**Immediate action:** Open a support ticket with Microsoft for S Mode switch failures when standard methods fail.

## References
- Source discussion: `spaces/AAAA05BdS6s/threads/ED39vuIqyD4`
- Attachments:
  - ![image.png](../attachments/ED39vuIqyD4.ED39vuIqyD4/image.png) — **Screen capture of a Windows "Switch out of S mode" page.**

The page displays the title "Switch out of S mode" and body text warning that switching is irreversible and that S mode offers security, speed, and simplicity via Microsoft-verified apps and Microsoft Edge. A single active button labeled **"Try again"** (cyan/blue) is visible, indicating a prior switch attempt did not complete successfully.
  - ![image.png](../attachments/ED39vuIqyD4.OOz2K1aRKBA/image.png) — The image shows a Microsoft community forum reply from user "crionsynx" (Independent Advisor), dated May 5, 2020, providing a PowerShell command to re-register the Microsoft Store app: **`Get-AppXPackage *WindowsStore* -AllUsers | Foreach {Add-AppxPackage -DisableDevelopmentMode -Register "$($_.InstallLocation)\AppXManifest.xml"}`**. The post includes a reference URL to Microsoft Support article **445606** regarding switching out of Windows S Mode. No error codes, hardware indicators, or physical equipment are visible.
  - ![image.png](../attachments/ED39vuIqyD4.blSm5LoB2fM/image.png) — **Screen displays:** "Switch out of S mode" heading with an explanatory message warning that the action is irreversible. A **"Try again" button** is visible, along with the error message at the bottom: **"Something happened and we couldn't start the upgrade."** No error codes are present; the upgrade process has failed to initiate.

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