Ever since Microsoft released Windows 10 in 2015, there has been a substantial increase in the amount of “bloat” being added to the operating system with every update. This “bloat” consisting in aggressive product placement of Microsoft products and subscription services (such as Edge, OneDrive and Microsoft 365), the inclusion of ads in the Start Menu, a rampant increase in the amount of telemetry data being sent by the OS, etc. While these changes can be mitigated with tools such as PowerShell and Group Policy, it is a tedious process, which may need to be repeated with every update. This is where Windows LTSC comes into play.

Understanding Windows LTSC

Windows Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC), is a specialized version of Windows designed for industrial systems where stability and predictability are paramount. There are two variants of Windows LTSC: Enterprise and Enterprise IoT. Both variants are supported with security updates for an extended period of time (5 years for Enterprise LTSC and 10 years for Enterprise IoT LTSC respectively), and intentionally receive no feature updates, thus making the whole operating system much more stable and performant. Windows LTSC editions also feature overall reduced hardware utilization and lesser telemetry data collection.

Windows LTSC editions are also stripped out of all forms of advertising and of all unessential Microsoft products. The removed features include:

  • Cortana
  • OneDrive
  • Xbox Integration / Game Bar
  • Microsoft 365
  • Microsoft Store
  • Microsoft Store apps (Movies & TV, Groove Music, News and Interests, ecc.)

💡 Microsoft Edge is installed by default, but it can be removed

The reduced feature set of Windows LTSC may cause compatibility issues when using software that relies on up-to-date system libraries; Software that is distributed through the Microsoft Store can still be installed (through side-loading either of the application itself or of the Microsoft Store) but complete compatibility is not guaranteed. With that being said, Windows LTSC is still compatible with the vast majority of Windows programs and games.

Availability and licensing

Evaluation copies of both Enterprise LTSC and Enterprise IoT LTSC are available directly from Microsoft website. In order to continue to use the OS after the 90 days evaluation period, a license must be purchased; This is easier said than done, since the Enterprise editions of Windows aren’t sold to the general public. One way to get around this limitation is to purchase a Windows LTSC license inside a bundle of other Microsoft business products, however the costs can be quite high (around 400 dollars).

Using Windows LTSC

It is worth pointing out that LTSC editions of Windows aren’t recommended (by Microsoft at least) for desktop use. You may be unable to run some applications, especially the ones which rely on the Microsoft Store. With that being said, if your workflow doesn’t depend on bleeding edge software and is not tied to the Microsoft ecosystem, Windows LTSC may be the best solution for your computing needs. Happy hacking ✌️

Windows 10 LTSC evaluation - Microsoft Windows 10 LTSC bundle licensing - Spiceworks