What to Do When Windows Tells You That You Can Only Download from the Microsoft Store

What to Do When Windows Tells You That You Can Only Download from the Microsoft Store

This tip was written for Windows 11, but if you’re using Windows 10 and you’re locked into downloading from the Windows store, see this page for help.

In the past few days, we’ve had several people with new computers who couldn’t install Emsisoft or anything else that was not available from the Microsoft store. It’s called Windows in S-Mode. Microsoft cuts deals with computer manufacturers like HP, Lenovo, and others and gives these manufacturers substantial discounts on Windows licensing if they agree to produce a certain percentage of their computers with Windows in S-mode. And since the PC makers get a nice discount from Microsoft they can sell these S-mode computers cheaper too – but many times they don’t pass along the savings to the consumer.

S-Mode (we think it means Microsoft STORE mode) attempts to lock users into downloading only apps/programs from the Store. Now, of course, Microsoft has a lot of jealousy propelling this “Store” mode. The Apple Store and Google Play Store are wildly successful offering just about anything you’d ever want or need. 

Not so much for the Microsoft Store (formerly known as the Windows Store).  The Microsoft Store has a limited selection of apps/programs. For instance, you can’t download Google Chrome from the “Store”. When you go to the Microsoft Store and type Google Chrome into the app search box, this is what you  see:

You’ll find Edge instead of Chrome. Wonder why? You can’t get a lot of programs/apps we recommend like IrfanView, FastStone Image Viewer, Emsisoft, and many others from the Microsoft Store.

So, what can you do when you buy a Windows 11 computer that tries to lock you into downloading only from the Microsoft Store?  You can change it and download software from wherever you want – that’s what you can do.  And it’s not hard to do.