Choosing the right Windows Edition¶
Windows comes in various different editions available through various different channels. It's important to understand the differences between the release channels & the editions to properly evaluate the right choice.
Windows Release Channels¶
Microsoft releases Windows 10 and 11 through two servicing channels.
1. GAC (General Availability Channel)¶
- It is intended for both general and enterprise customers.
- Edition examples include options such as Home, Pro, and Enterprise.
- Maximum support on the same build is usually 2 years for consumers and 3 years for the enterprise. After that, you need to install feature updates.
- This is the main servicing channel and other software and games usually follow this channel's life cycle to provide support.
2. LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel)¶
- It is designed for devices where functionality and features must remain constant over time, such as medical systems, industrial controllers, and air traffic controldevices.
- Examples of editions include: Enterprise LTSC and IoT Enterprise LTSC.
- Maximum support on the same build is usually 5 years for LTSC and 10 years for the IoT LTSC.
- This is not the main servicing channel and other software and games usually don't follow this channel's life cycle. For example, browsers and games might not provide support for 10 years on same build.
- It lacks most of the Store (UWP) apps.
Reasons to use LTSC¶
- You don't like annual Windows feature upgrades.
- You don't like preinstalled Store (UWP) apps as well.
- You want longer update support for Windows 10.
Reasons to avoid using LTSC¶
- As stated above, many games and software might not support LTSC once that same build has reached the end of life in GAC.
- Games might not work out of the box and you will manually need to install store and Xbox apps.
- New hardware might not be fully supported by a 2-3 year-old LTSC build (A new version of LTSC is released every 3 years).
- You might miss new features added in GAC that aren't available in LTSC.
Common misconceptions¶
-
LTSC is fast.
It's not fast, although there might be a bit more RAM available because of no store apps running in the background, and you can achieve the same result in GAC channel editions by turning off background apps and startup apps. -
It's more privacy-oriented.
No, telemetry options are the same as GAC Enterprise.
Why are we going with LTSC then?¶
Because LTSC gives us a much cleaner base to start from. LTSC has a much less amount of bloat out of the box & even though the telemetry is the same, that part will be managed later after installing anyway.
Moreover, by using LTSC, we eliminate the constant push of Feature updates & Experimental updates from Microsoft. LTSC recieves only security updates & that for 10 years. That enables us to use even Windows 10 after its EOL on Oct-2025.
LTSC Editions¶
Now, there are 2 different Editions of Enterprise LTSC under the LTSC channel-
- Enterprise LTSC
- IoT Enterprise LTSC
Differences between IoT and Non-IoT Windows Enterprise LTSC¶
| Features | Enterprise LTSC | IoT Enterprise LTSC / IoT Enterprise Subscription LTSC |
|---|---|---|
| TPM / Secure boot / UEFI / 4GB RAM | All required | Not Required 🎉 Also not required by IoT Enterprise 24H2 (Non-LTSC) |
| Automatic Device Encryption | Enabled | Disabled |
| Update Support | 5 Years | 10 Years |
| Reserved Storage Feature | Enabled | Disabled |
| Digital License (HWID) | Not supported | Supported |
| Uninstallable Edge outside of EEA | Yes | No |
| 2 Simultaneous RDP Sessions | No | Yes |
The Final Verdict¶
- IoT Enterprise LTSC is a clear winner. We will be using this edition.
The only difference between IoT Enterprise LTSC and IoT Enterprise Subscription LTSC is that the subscription edition supports a subscription license.
Download Links for LTSC ISOs¶
Microsoft provides Evaluation ISO public links for Windows LTSC releases, but as the name states, those ISOs are for evaluation purposes and can not be activated for more than 90 days. Microsoft provides consumer ISOs for free on their site, but business, enterprise, and older ISOs are behind paywalls such as MVS and M365 Admin Center.
You can find LTSC ISOs from massgrave.dev.
Verify the downloaded ISOs¶
To verify the authencity of the downloaded ISOs, refer to the guide from massgrave.dev here.