Thoughts on the Long Term Servicing Branch of Windows 10?

[.EteRnal.]

I ran LTSC 2019 on my main desktop for a while and am currently considering moving back if I am not ready for 11 by 2025. I remember it being a great experience albeit a painful experience in some aspects. Mostly relating to compatibility with newer titles and MS store dependencies. I currently run it on a laptop I reserve for business and found it to be great. Curious if anybody here has an experience to share with LTSC versions.

Before anybody asks, I do have a volume license agreement and a genuine license for both Enterprise LTSC and Enterprise SAC.

[Cathulhu]

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/lifecycle/products/windows-10-enterprise-ltsc-2019
While technically it gives you four additional years, it is a rather pricey option that the average user will not be willing to pay.

And i suspect Valve will terminate support for Windows 10 in about 2028 if Windows 7 is takes as a baseline.

I recommend you look for alternatives.

[WarBucks]

I installed/maintained LTSC and volume license systems in enterprise, 1000s of years ago. Not for windows 10 but i assume its still the same.

The important part for gamers is LTSC is a security thing, not a feature thing.

If Nvidia/AMD drops OS driver support (as an example, thats a long time from now) then microsoft cant help you with gaming. Youre stuck on the last rev, or at best microsoft drivers.

If the windows 12 kernel is built around TPM2.0+ security functions then services like steam, your bank webpage, chrome/edge itself will have moved on too. TPM you have to remember is an international standard ISO/IEC 11889. Its possible that it becomes an actual minimum requirment (as in legally required) for some services (No doubt financial related stuff).

Im not some seer, I personally stay on the newest versions and occasional dabble into the windows betas for my gaming computer. Mostly I want to stay forward looking for the ecosystems, thats pretty much how i do it.

[Tiberius]

I knw many banks still pay for ltsc for their atms. Unless you're a huge enterprise, its really not worth it.

[.EteRnal.]

Originally posted by WarBucks:

I installed/maintained LTSC and volume license systems in enterprise, 1000s of years ago. Not for windows 10 but i assume its still the same.

The important part for gamers is LTSC is a security thing, not a feature thing.

If Nvidia/AMD drops OS driver support (as an example, thats a long time from now) then microsoft cant help you with gaming. Youre stuck on the last rev, or at best microsoft drivers.

If the windows 12 kernel is built around TPM2.0+ security functions then services like steam, your bank webpage, chrome/edge itself will have moved on too. TPM you have to remember is an international standard ISO/IEC 11889. Its possible that it becomes an actual minimum requirment (as in legally required) for some services (No doubt financial related stuff).

Im not some seer, I personally stay on the newest versions and occasional dabble into the windows betas for my gaming computer. Mostly I want to stay forward looking for the ecosystems, thats pretty much how i do it.

Hi, Thanks for the insight. I typically reserve my LTSC licenses for my Surface and Laptop. Im thinking ill be fine to update to 11 when Windows 10 EOL's that or it might be time to put serious effort into running Linux full-time.