Best Windows 10/11 Version?

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What is the best Windows 10/11 version in regards to your ability to control the OS, as well as have the least amount of keylogging/telemetry/data mining/forced updates, etc.? I know Windows 10 Pro allows you to have additional control over the free version, but would Enterprise or an LTSC(assuming not) be an even better option?

[Betrayal]

Forget Windows 11. Microsofts long term plan is to turn it into a 100% cloud based and streamed OS, the absolute nightmare for anyone who cares about privacy.

[nullable]

Best is subjective. I'm running Windows 11 Pro, but I haven't been fussed enough to or bothered enough to disable anything. I don't mind the system being kept updated. And I can live with the telemetry or whatever.

MS is ending Windows 10 support in 2025, and by that point Windows 10 will be ten years old, so it wouldn't be my first choice to use a version of Windows in its twilight years already. I'd vote for Windows 11 and jump through the hoops you're determined to jump through to feel better.

[Cuchillo_Baishan]

LTSC is for enterprise customers only, not for consumers.

[C²C^Guyver |NZB|]

I'm using 11 Pro.

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Publicado originalmente por Cuchillo_Baishan:

LTSC is for enterprise customers only, not for consumers.

IIRC, you can get an enterprise license if you buy 5 copies, correct?

[Mad Scientist]

Why do enterprise when you can just turn off some features and use a firewall to block certain data collecting domains?

[Cuchillo_Baishan]

Publicado originalmente por Getty:

Publicado originalmente por Cuchillo_Baishan:

LTSC is for enterprise customers only, not for consumers.

IIRC, you can get an enterprise license if you buy 5 copies, correct?

I don't know, would you be willing to go that far as to buy 5 copies to get it?

This operating system will be EOL very soon, and after this, Steam will be retiring support as soon as they can.

[Cuchillo_Baishan]

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/all/how-do-i-purchase-windows-10-ltsc/2f4cd7ee-422e-4c40-b70b-18372c5518dd

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Publicado originalmente por Mad Scientist:

Why do enterprise when you can just turn off some features and use a firewall to block certain data collecting domains?

I seem to remember 10 reverting the settings after an update, did they stop doing that?

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Publicado originalmente por Cuchillo_Baishan:

Publicado originalmente por Getty:

IIRC, you can get an enterprise license if you buy 5 copies, correct?

I don't know, would you be willing to go that far as to buy 5 copies to get it?

This operating system will be EOL very soon, and after this, Steam will be retiring support as soon as they can.

There's a fair chance, if I could use it for a long time. If I could pay MS $500 for an OS that's simply an OS and that's it, not spy on me at all, and use it for 10 years, I would do that.

[Thiesen]

Publicado originalmente por dazza0511:

Publicado originalmente por Getty:

There's a fair chance, if I could use it for a long time. If I could pay MS $500 for an OS that's simply an OS and that's it, not spy on me at all, and use it for 10 years, I would do that.

How many people use Windows? I don't think Microsoft cares about you, you are not special or a celebrity they are not spying on you. Your existence is nothing but a grain of sand compared to the entire scale of the universe.

Doesn't Edward Snowden rinmg a bell? 2013...

MS, Apple, Google will Bend over when NSA wants to have some quality time...

[Start_Running]

The Pro version is usually the best option for consumer level.

[D. Flame]

Best Version of Win 10: Education
-education edition was given to college students (often for free), it is basically an up-to-date version (unlike LTSC). It also had all the same capabilities of Enterprise Windows 10, specifically because that is what it was for, to teach IT students how to work on Enterprise Windows setups

Best Version of Win 11: N/A
-they literally all suck. I don't think an education version of this one exists, and even the pro version had your level of control reduced.

[N3tRunn3r]

Windows 10 (Pro) will become obsolete in very few years already. It will not going to receive a major 23H2 update even.

Windows 11 Pro 21H2 was best, compared to W10 and W11. I still own original install media. Stable, fast, Taskbar could be used on top of screen..

22H2 has been a huge experimental thrown-together mess.. which had even caused BSODs. And I havent had any BSODs since the XP Era..

In a few weeks 23H2 releases for W11. So lets see.. with a fresh and clean install.

Windows 12 Beta also starts this year and its official release in about a year..

P.s.: As a regular home user, you wont really feel a difference between Pro and Enterprise Editions.. So as a private user use Pro in general as it includes enhanced stability and security, and if you want to experiment and test try a free Enterprise Evaluation license..

Enterprise has even more security enhancements as Defender Endpoint, ReFS disk formation, and more group policies.. for automation processes for example etc..

Of course, Enterprise is the best Edition out there, as we had it with Windows 7 Ultimate.
But I miss an official "Starter" Edition for W10/11.. a very lightweighted and basic Edition.

You can use this Wikipedia Chart for both, W10 and W11 Editions:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_10_editions#Comparison_chart

Configure Windows diagnostic data in your organization

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/privacy/configure-windows-diagnostic-data-in-your-organization#diagnostic-data-settings

Applies to

Windows 11 Enterprise
Windows 11 Education
Windows 11 Professional
Windows 10 Enterprise
Windows 10 Education
Windows 10 Professional
Windows Server 2016 and later
Surface Hub
Hololens

https://www.computerworld.com/article/3200375/for-real-windows-10-privacy-you-need-the-china-government-edition.html

[Dr.Shadowds 🐉]

Fun facts.

- There settings you can turn off manually for privacy, just go into windows settings not hard at all.

- Can use tool call shutup10, this tool turns hidden settings off, and so on making it easier for you, please be aware what you disable if don't use default settings.

- You can block outgoing connections to Microsoft, and etc using windows built in windows firewall, or install your own to set it up, and input the addresses it trying to output to, you can also use a tool to monitor traffic on your PC.

Basically you can turn off, and block all the things you fear with that tin foil hat you been wearing like your life depended on it thinking alien ET was out to get you for some reason.


The longest support would likely be IoT Enterprise LTSC editions as they get about upwards of ~10+ years of support from their release date, they meant for business, or data centers, not consumers really.

For consumers windows 10 might get extended support means more years because of windows 11 requirements, I wouldn't be shocked if support extended to 2030 ~ 2032, since Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 edition ends in 2032. No one knows how Windows 12 will play out, or when it releases, people made a not of assumptions about code names, but forget windows always had code names for all their build updates, so whatever you read online take with grain of salt, there no guarantee what may happen.

Far as anyone concerned windows 11 basically a refresh of 10, if it works via 10 then likely to work via 11.