s about Windows 10 IoT LTSC
s about Windows 10 IoT LTSC
So I'm not keen on Windows 11, but since gaming is big and most stuff runs on Windows, I'm thinking about switching to Windows 10 LTSC which supports up to 2032. I have a few questions I'd like to ask.
1. Is it necessary to own Windows 10 Pro before you can upgrade the license? I've seen mixed advice on this.
2. Do you know if the link on Archive.org is reliable? I'm posting the link but unsure about the rules here. I'm open to sharing if needed.
3. Have anyone tried the CDW site for purchasing licenses? I'd appreciate any good or bad experiences, and feel free to share the link if it fits the guidelines.
Thanks a lot!
It seems like a grey market activation key was used, taken from an Enterprise Volume License and therefore outside Microsoft's standard terms for resale. I saw on a forum that the cheapest IoT license is for five devices, which makes it doubtful a single CDW license would be fully valid or legitimate. Others mentioned that upgrading from a non-Enterprise version of Windows isn't allowed.
Note: A Windows Activation Key grants access to install Windows, whereas a Windows License authorizes usage of the operating system.
In my role as a Network Admin, I've configured machines with Windows 10 Enterprise IoT in the past. It feels quite similar to Windows 10 Professional in many ways.
Enterprise 10 IoT 2021 appears stuck in a time loop from 2021, though there are some notable changes.
You won't find Microsoft Store support, but Internet Explorer remains active—something that was removed in Home/Professional editions.
Features introduced after 2022 likely won't be present in Windows 10 Enterprise 2021 IoT, although you'll still get monthly security updates on the second Tuesday each month.
I went through the details in your link. What bothers me is this sentence: "Limited to specific, device-oriented apps and, if using Windows 10 IoT Core, it only supports Universal Windows Platform apps." It makes me confused because I keep seeing people talking about it, not about 11 (which every news article I read mentions is something else). I’m unsure if they’re being too dramatic or...?
I really don’t want to end up with all the unnecessary stuff, the suspiciously high amount of software, the constant spyware (like screenshots of your PC every time!), and everything breaking. It seems like LTSC or just hoping it stays secure is what I’m considering for my PC—my gaming machine (which is basically my life) and my work.
You do know most/all of that is pure nonsense. 'constant screenshots' = Recall. Which is absolutely not installed by default 'constantly breaking' - Not my Win 11 systems. 'hacked'? No more than any other OS There is a LOT of misinformation regarding Win 11. Almost none of it actually factual or backed up. Question - Windows 10 vs Windows 11? There has been much mention made of the increased data harvesting and telemetry in Windows 11, vs previous versions. Does there exist somewhere an impartial comparison of what 11 does that 10 does or does not, as regards privacy, data harvesting, etc? NOT just the basic OS features. Key word... forums.
I also considered purchasing an LTSC license for Windows 10, but soon noticed that most of the available ones were essentially fraudulent. As other participants in this conversation have mentioned, LTSC licenses aren’t sold so freely on the internet to just anyone, unlike standard Windows PRO or Home versions which can be obtained for a small amount.
I haven’t verified the link you referenced, but I’m not convinced it’s a trustworthy sales page.
The alternatives are:
1) wait another year before upgrading via your account
2) continue using Windows 10 without updates (after the initial free period)
3) move to Windows 11
4) transition to a Linux distribution such as Fedora, Ubuntu, or ZorinOS
If you’re passionate about gaming or heavily rely on certain software like Adobe, Linux might not be ideal. Although Steam offers many games for the penguin platform and tools like Wine can emulate Windows, they demand significantly more computing resources.
Personally, I find Windows 11 to be visually unappealing, though not catastrophic. Many claims about its issues are exaggerated—privacy concerns, occasional instability, and similar problems only arise in certain situations. There are numerous online solutions to secure Microsoft’s system.
What bothers me most is how bulky and less refined Windows 11 appears compared to Windows 10, which still performs well even on low-power laptops. Additionally, some visual elements in Win11, such as the right-click menu and taskbar, stand out as distracting.