Windows 10 and 11 machines running in S Mode cannot install the Print Tracker Data Collection Agent (DCA). S Mode is a locked-down Windows configuration that only allows apps from the Microsoft Store, and the Print Tracker DCA is not distributed through the Microsoft Store.
S Mode is common on lower-cost laptops and tablets that ship preconfigured from the manufacturer, so this often surfaces when a customer supplies their own machine for the install.
How to Recognize This
The installer will not run, or Windows blocks it with a message about only running apps from the Microsoft Store.
Windows offers to open the Microsoft Store instead of running the downloaded file.
The machine is a newer consumer-grade laptop or tablet that has not been reconfigured by IT.
Confirm the Machine Is in S Mode
Open the Settings app.
Go to System, then About.
Look at the Windows edition. If the machine is in S Mode, the edition will read something like "Windows 11 Home in S mode."
Switching Out of S Mode
Switching out of S Mode is permanent and cannot be undone. There is no supported way to switch a machine back into S Mode afterward. This is a one-way change to the customer's computer, so get the customer's or their IT administrator's approval before you do it. The switch itself is free and does not affect files or installed applications.
Once you have approval, follow Microsoft's official instructions for the version of Windows on the machine:
In short, the process runs through the Microsoft Store: open Settings, go to System then Activation, find the "Switch to Windows 11 Home" or "Switch out of S mode" section, and click Open Store, then Get. The machine may need a restart.
After switching out, install the DCA normally by running the installer as administrator.
If You Cannot Switch Out of S Mode
Some customers will not permit the change, or the device is managed under a policy that requires S Mode. In that case, choose a different host instead:
Use a different computer on the same network. A server or an always-on desktop is a better DCA host anyway. The agent only needs to reach the printers on the network, not be the machine anyone uses.
Deploy a Print Tracker Cube. The Cube is a small dedicated appliance that runs the DCA, which removes the dependency on a customer-owned PC entirely. This is usually the cleanest answer when the only available machine is locked down.
Note that a machine in S Mode is frequently a laptop, and laptops make poor DCA hosts regardless of S Mode, because they leave the network and go to sleep. Moving to a server, desktop, or Cube solves both problems at once.
Contacting Support
If you have switched out of S Mode and the installer still fails, the cause is something else. See DCA Installation Fails: Access Denied, Error 1603, or Installer Blocked, or contact Print Tracker support with the full error message and the Windows version and edition.