Laptop shenanigans: an update · 8:01pm Sep 1st, 2023
Okay, let me say it: I am not a Microsoft Windows person. 
Hello, strangers. 'Tis me, writing to you once again from the new laptop.
I've now had some time to figure out the basics of Windows and realise exactly how much I prefer Chrome OS and Android. 
I'm a Google software person. I like the UI and the simplicity of it all. I like the Google Play Store and its apps. I like Google Chrome as a browser more than any other browser I've used so far. Sure, it's maybe not the one for those who are ultra-conscious of privacy and security, but I'm not working for MI5 or diving into the dark web every other day. I want to be able to help my parents with buying things on Amazon and eBay every so often, watch videos on YouTube, access my horse word site and Google Docs, and that's about it. I'm perfectly happy with what Google and its services have to offer.
However, nearly all Windows laptops these days come with this pre-installed thing called S Mode, apparently, where it blocks you from downloading apps from anywhere except for the Microsoft Store, and prevents you from using any browser apart from Microsoft Edge. (Apparently, Apple likes to do something similar, but I've not grown up with Apple technology so I don't really know what I'm talking about here.) Anyway, if you want anything other than the software that the Microsoft Store lets you download, you have to turn off S Mode, and the settings to change this are not the easiest to access. Turning off S Mode is apparently also an irreversible thing and Windows will repeatedly inform you that by turning off S Mode you're making yourself more vulnerable to malware from the internet permanently, in a desperate attempt to convince you to keep on using their software.
The issue is that, as I stated before, I'm a Google person who likes Google software, and this silly S mode wouldn't allow me to access pretty much any of the software I use on a daily basis. The software for the online music exams - the only reason why I chose a Windows laptop this time around - needed to be downloaded from the internet, and Windows said that any software not from Microsoft's store would be stopped from running, meaning that it wouldn't work and my struggles with learning how to cope with a whole new OS would have been for nothing. So, S Mode has been vanquished once and for all, and I'm now writing to you from the comforts of Chrome.
Yes, I did just make a terrible pun, and no, I will not apologise for it.
The only problem I have now is that it's not letting me activate my gift card for the McAfee antivirus. Before,when S Mode was still on, it recognised the code on the back as genuine and allowed me to type in my email address, but when I hit the "next" button it took me to a "processing" screen and was stuck on that screen for several hours. The very moment I turned off S Mode, I got a pop-up from the pre-installed McAfee app saying I could activate my subscription now that S Mode was off, but when I typed in the code from the gift card again it no longer recognised it, and, as I'm new to the software and it didn't let me finish making my account while S Mode was on, there's no way they can verify that I activated the code at all. So, my antivirus software is now lost in the void.
Technology is great when it works... 
On the plus side, at least I now have Google Chrome back. I can sync everything up nicely with my phone, and I'm using a browser that doesn't feel clunky. Now this laptop is usable, I guess I need to write some more horse words for you all.
Hope you're doing well,
~ Angel
hug
This is... kind of weird to me, to be honest. I've never encountered that before. 😅
I'm sorry you had to go through that, but I know you'll manage.
As a great person once said:
"Man, you stoopid"
(Btw I'm not calling you dumb or anything, I'm just saying that Microsoft is stupid)
S mode? I've never had to go through that... Well, I guess you did say 'these days ', and since my laptop is over a decade old...
I understand your struggles. When I first got a Chromebook, it was hard because I'm a Windows user. There was no FN key... It was weird. But I still liked its speed and how light it was.
The only disadvantages so far are 1) If I want to download an app from the internet, I have to turn developer mode on, and that'll erase everything... 2) Are Chromebooks even usable for playing games? Me: (downloads a game from google play and opens it) Game: (crashes almost instantly).
5744828
Thanks. :)
5744844
It appears to be a Windows 10/11 thing where they only want you to use certain "verified" apps, which they probably get extra money for or something like that.
5744873
I know. Just let people use the software they need to get their education and stuff?
5744878
I think it's new to Windows 10 and Windows 11, to try and get more people to spend money on the apps which they get some kind of monetary kickback from, because developers probably have to pay them to get their apps "verified by Microsoft."
Chromebooks are speedy little things. Everything's designed to be as quick and easy as possible, which is probably the biggest reason why I like them. Sure, they don't have every key on the keyboards that Windows computers do, but in time you find that you pretty much don't need them.
If you go to the "Developers" page on Settings, it should talk about the Linux developer environment. Turning that on doesn't wipe your data but it allows you to download Linux software from the internet and get most of the games and apps you want. It's like the best of both worlds between the complete developer mode and the regular Chrome OS.
Google Play on Chromebooks is still a relatively new feature, and a lot of apps aren't optimised for Chromebooks. It's only in the last few months that Mojang have got Minecraft to work on Chromebooks well enough for it to be released to the public - though from what I've heard, it's still got a noticeable amount of bugs. However, there are apps and games that do work. They're just not always the most obvious to find.
5744893
youre welcome