Update: Microsoft Warns Some Users Stuck In Windows 10 S Mode With No Way Out

There are a few devices on the market that currently ship out of the box in Windows 10 S Mode instead of a standard version of Windows 10. S Mode locks down the operating system so that you are only able to install apps available from Microsoft Store; instead of installing any app that you wish (as Windows users have done for decades).

However, some owners of devices that came preinstalled with Windows 10 S Mode -- i.e., Microsoft Surface Go and Samsung Galaxy Book 2 -- are finding that they are unable to escape this walled prison. As WindowsLatest explains, customers under normal circumstances are able to transition from Windows 10 S Mode to a "regular" version of Windows 10 by navigating to the Microsoft Store. However, the page that allows the OS upgrade is no longer functioning.

"When following step by step guides online, I've found that the ‘switch out s mode’ screen in the Microsoft store doesn't seem to ever load (I'm just left with a blank screen without the loading circle in the middle)," wrote motionlessilence on reddit. "I've tried endless different ways to do this, and done endless research, and for some reason I'm making no progress."

Thankfully, all is not lost, as Microsoft has well aware of the problem and provided the following statement on issue:

This is not expected behavior and the issue is not with your PC. Microsoft is aware that some users are unable to upgrade to Pro Edition or switch out of S mode as a result of this blank page. We are investigating the cause and when a resolution is available the Store will update without any user action necessary. There is no current estimate on when this condition will be resolved.

So, the good news is that Microsoft has at least identified the problem, but the bad news is that we have no idea when the company will put a fix into place. Will this be as simple as flipping a switch in the Microsoft Store backend, or will users have to wait until Patch Tuesday for a fix? It's anyone's guess at this time, but stay tuned here for updates on the issue.

Updated 8/2/2019 @ 10:19am
Microsoft has issued a new update for the Microsoft Store (ver 11906.1001.24.0) that resolves the problem. You can see Microsoft's full statement below:

Thank you for your feedback. We have completed our investigation and have published an updated version of the Microsoft Store app which includes a fix for this issue. To install this update:From the taskbar, open Microsoft Store. Select More ...  > Downloads and updates > Get updates. Install available updates, including Microsoft Store version 11906.1001.24.0 (or later).