Four things people look up constantly on a new Windows 11 machine, and the answers aren’t where you’d expect them to be.

Getting out of S Mode

If you bought a cheaper laptop and it refuses to install anything that didn’t come from the Microsoft Store, you’re in S Mode.

What S Mode is: a locked-down version of Windows that only runs Store apps and only uses Edge as the browser. It’s genuinely more secure and it runs well on low-end hardware, that’s why manufacturers ship it on budget machines. It’s also why you can’t install Chrome, Steam, or most desktop software.

How to check: Settings → System → About → look at Edition. If it says “Windows 11 Home in S mode,” you’re in it.

How to leave:

  1. Settings → System → Activation
  2. Find the S mode section
  3. Click Open Store under “Switch to Windows 11 Home”
  4. On the Store page, click Get
  5. Wait for the confirmation

It takes under a minute and it’s free.

The catch: this is one-way. There’s no supported route back into S Mode short of a full factory reset. Before you switch, ask whether you actually need it, if the machine is for a child or an elderly relative, S Mode’s restriction to Store apps is a real security benefit and worth keeping.

Switching out does not affect your files, your Windows licence, or your warranty.

If the Store page won’t load: make sure Windows is fully updated, sign in with a Microsoft account, and check the date and time are correct. Store errors here are usually one of those three.

Showing hidden files and folders

Windows hides system files by default. Three ways to see them, depending on how permanent you want it.

The quick way (Windows 11):

  1. Open File Explorer
  2. Click View in the toolbar
  3. Hover over Show
  4. Tick Hidden items

The keyboard shortcut: Ctrl + Shift + Period, hidden items toggle instantly. Faster than the menu once you know it.

The thorough way — also show protected system files:

  1. In File Explorer, click the … (See more) button → Options
  2. Go to the View tab
  3. Select Show hidden files, folders and drives
  4. Untick Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
  5. Confirm the warning, click Apply

The second option reveals things like pagefile.sys, hiberfil.sys and System Volume Information. Turn it back on when you’re done — those files are hidden because deleting them breaks Windows.

Also useful: on the same View tab, untick Hide extensions for known file types. Seeing that invoice.pdf is really invoice.pdf.exe is one of the simplest malware defences there is.

To hide a file yourself: right-click → Properties → tick Hidden → OK.

Setting up Windows 11 without a Microsoft account

Windows 11 Home pushes hard for a Microsoft account during setup. Here’s where it stands.

On Windows 11 Pro: at the “How would you like to set up this device?” screen, choose Set up for work or school, then Sign-in options → Domain join instead. That gives you a local account.

On Windows 11 Home: Microsoft has closed most of the workarounds, including the old oobe\bypassnro command, which was removed in 2025 builds. What still tends to work:

  • Disconnect from the internet before setup. Don’t connect to wifi, or unplug the ethernet cable. With no connection, setup eventually offers a local account. On some builds you need Shift+F10 → ipconfig /release first
  • Shift+F10 at the network screen, then type start ms-cxh:localonly — this opens the local account dialogue directly and works on current builds

Microsoft closes these periodically, so what works this month may not next month.

The easier route: create the Microsoft account during setup, then convert to local afterwards. Settings → Accounts → Your info → Sign in with a local account instead. This works reliably and takes two minutes.

Worth knowing before you avoid it: without a Microsoft account you lose automatic BitLocker recovery-key backup. If BitLocker is on, and it is by default on many new machines, and you have no recovery key saved, a firmware change can lock you out of your own drive permanently. If you go local, go to Settings → Privacy & security → Device encryption and save your recovery key somewhere safe.

Sleep, shutdown and restart shortcuts

The built-in one: press Win + X, then U, then:

  • U again — shut down
  • R — restart
  • S — sleep
  • H — hibernate (if enabled)
  • I — sign out

Win + X, U, S becomes muscle memory quickly.

From the desktop: click any empty desktop space, press Alt + F4, choose from the dropdown. This only works with the desktop focused, with an app in front, Alt+F4 closes the app.

Make your own shortcut:

  1. Right-click the desktop → New → Shortcut
  2. For the location, enter: – Sleep: rundll32.exe powrprof.dll,SetSuspendState 0,1,0 – Shut down: shutdown /s /t 0 – Restart: shutdown /r /t 0 – Hibernate: shutdown /h – Lock: rundll32.exe user32.dll,LockWorkStation
  3. Name it, click Finish
  4. Right-click the shortcut → Properties → Shortcut key → press your key combination

One catch with the sleep command: if hibernation is enabled, SetSuspendState 0,1,0 hibernates instead of sleeping. To force actual sleep, disable hibernation with powercfg -h off in an administrator Command Prompt, but note that also disables Fast Startup.

If Sleep is missing from the power menu: Control Panel → Power Options → Choose what the power buttons do → Change settings that are currently unavailable → tick Sleep under shutdown settings.

Other shortcuts worth knowing:

  • Win + L — lock immediately
  • Win + Ctrl + D — new virtual desktop
  • Win + Shift + S — screenshot a selected area
  • Win + V — clipboard history (turn it on the first time)
  • Win + . — emoji and symbol picker

Common questions

Does leaving S Mode cost anything? No. It’s free and takes a minute. You just can’t go back without a factory reset.

Will leaving S Mode delete my files? No. Files, settings and apps all stay.

Why can’t I see hidden files even after enabling the setting? Some files are marked as protected system files, which is a separate setting. Untick Hide protected operating system files in File Explorer Options → View.

Is a local account less secure than a Microsoft account? Neither is inherently safer. The practical difference is recovery: a Microsoft account backs up your BitLocker key and lets you reset a forgotten password online. With a local account, a forgotten password or a lost BitLocker key is often unrecoverable.

Why does my PC wake up from sleep on its own? Usually a network adapter or a scheduled task. Open an administrator Command Prompt and run powercfg -lastwake to see what did it, and powercfg -devicequery wake_armed to list everything permitted to wake the machine. Disable the culprit in Device Manager → Properties → Power Management.

The one to think about before acting is S Mode — it’s the only change here you can’t undo without wiping the machine. Everything else is reversible in seconds.