Article Worried about the forced move to Windows 11? Worry no more: there's a Windows 10 version that will continue to be updated until 2032!

[AnitaPeterson]

With the announced end of support for Windows 10 coming up this October, many people are reluctant - for many good reasons! - to commit to a forced update to Windows 11.

But what if I told you there's a Windows 10 version that will continue to be supported for seven more years, until 2032?

Back in April, The Register had a wonderful write-up about the little-known IoT (Internet of Things) LTSC (Long-Term Support Channel) versions of Windows.

I would advise anyone who hates the idea of Windows 11 to have a look at the article here: https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/

Here's the relevant description: "The 2021 LTSC is available in the plain vanilla version, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, with end of mainstream support scheduled January 12, 2027, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021, with an extended end date of January 13, 2032. They are not quite the same as the ordinary consumer editions of Windows 10. They don't include the Windows Store or any "modern" apps. Apart from the Edge browser, they have almost nothing else: no OneDrive, no Weather or Contacts apps, and no Windows Mail or whatever it's called this week. For this vulture, all these things sound like significant advantages, although you may disagree. They do include the usual Windows Defender antivirus, though, and the classic accessories such as Notepad and Wordpad. [...] There isn't much visible difference between the two versions. Despite its name, the "IoT" edition is the full local client version of Windows. [...] The main difference with LTSC editions is that they don't receive version upgrades to the OS. You get version 21H2, build 19044, and that's it – forever. To upgrade to a newer build of Windows, you will need to reinstall the OS and all your apps. But since there won't be any further versions of Windows 10 after this year – 22H2 was the last – that's not such a big drawback."

There's much more meat in the article, so you're strongly encouraged to read it all.

Now, some of you may be still reluctant to make such an unusual lateral move, and you may be wondering about compatibility and other quirks. That's perfectly natural.
But I am here to tell you that IoT works beautifully, on every CPU architecture released over the past 13 years. I've moved all my machines to this OS two years ago, and I've never had any troubles.

For more details, please head to the original thread where I described my experience with it: https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...e-ocypus-iota-a62-digital-air-cooler.2630530/ - start with post #6.

You will notice that the original thread was on a different subject, and I didn't want to hijack it altogether, which is why I decided to create a new discussion here, where more people can find it. But you will find some additional questions and answers there, along with other people's descriptions of their own experiences.

So cheer up! There's no need to move to a dumbed-down, spyware-laden OS, as long as the reliable workhorse still has a lot of life left in it.

 

[WelshBloke]

You can't get a legitimate license for that as a home user though can you?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

With the announced end of support for Windows 10 coming up this October, many people are reluctant - for many good reasons! - to commit to a forced update to Windows 11.

But what if I told you there's a Windows 10 version that will continue to be supported for seven more years, until 2032?

Back in April, The Register had a wonderful write-up about the little-known IoT (Internet of Things) LTSC (Long-Term Support Channel) versions of Windows.

I would advise anyone who hates the idea of Windows 11 to have a look at the article here: https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/

Here's the relevant description: "The 2021 LTSC is available in the plain vanilla version, Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021, with end of mainstream support scheduled January 12, 2027, and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021, with an extended end date of January 13, 2032. They are not quite the same as the ordinary consumer editions of Windows 10. They don't include the Windows Store or any "modern" apps. Apart from the Edge browser, they have almost nothing else: no OneDrive, no Weather or Contacts apps, and no Windows Mail or whatever it's called this week. For this vulture, all these things sound like significant advantages, although you may disagree. They do include the usual Windows Defender antivirus, though, and the classic accessories such as Notepad and Wordpad. [...] There isn't much visible difference between the two versions. Despite its name, the "IoT" edition is the full local client version of Windows. [...] The main difference with LTSC editions is that they don't receive version upgrades to the OS. You get version 21H2, build 19044, and that's it – forever. To upgrade to a newer build of Windows, you will need to reinstall the OS and all your apps. But since there won't be any further versions of Windows 10 after this year – 22H2 was the last – that's not such a big drawback."

There's much more meat in the article, so you're strongly encouraged to read it all.

Now, some of you may be still reluctant to make such an unusual lateral move, and you may be wondering about compatibility and other quirks. That's perfectly natural.
But I am here to tell you that IoT works beautifully, on every CPU architecture released over the past 13 years. I've moved all my machines to this OS two years ago, and I've never had any troubles.

For more details, please head to the original thread where I described my experience with it: https://forums.anandtech.com/thread...e-ocypus-iota-a62-digital-air-cooler.2630530/ - start with post #6.

You will notice that the original thread was on a different subject, and I didn't want to hijack it altogether, which is why I decided to create a new discussion here, where more people can find it. But you will find some additional questions and answers there, along with other people's descriptions of their own experiences.

So cheer up! There's no need to move to a dumbed-down, spyware-laden OS, as long as the reliable workhorse still has a lot of life left in it.

Should we remind them of the single registry hack to assure that the Win IoT . . LTSC will install with "Keep programs and data" checked?

Here it is, below. I suggest users to enter this in their current Win 10 Pro or Home installation, then reboot, and after that -- install the ISO of the the IoT opened as a virtual HDD.

Reg add “HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion” /v EditionID /d IoTEnterpriseS /f

Did I miss anything? I've done this -- as Anita knows. It looks like a sure thing, and they describe it as "Win 10 without the ads" -- strictly business. What we always wanted -- yet they unloaded their advertising engine and cursed us with pop-ups.

Also, I had some Steam games installed on the test PC, and they continue to work as usual with the IoT . . . LTSC version.

Maybe Anita knows why I had to make the successful Win 11 Pro install on "ineligible" hardware (just the CPU): an instinctive anxiety for "keeping up", "keeping abreast", etc. At least, I know from my Forum Veterans like Anita -- we're not alone!

The remaining boxes will get the IoT . . . LTSC. I'm fired up and ready to go!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

You can't get a legitimate license for that as a home user though can you?

I posted my thoughts about this in another thread -- likely on the "Windows" forum. There are many online businesses boasting of being "Microsoft Partners" who sell keys (licenses) to dated versions of MS OSes and business software. I bought a license for Win 10 IoT Enterprise 2021 LTSC for eleven bucks.

I wouldn't be able to evaluate whether this is a gray area. If I opt for some software purchase opportunity for insanely low prices, I would wonder whether I'm getting legitimate software and license. With these Enterprise LTSC versions, they were meant to install en-masse to corporate systems, and they're primarily offered to corporations and their IT departments.

It is DEFINITELY NOT MARKETED to home users, but the legitimacy of the license is a separate issue. I wasn't eager to explore this further, but there are several online resellers. Try, for instance, KyMakers.com .

 

[AnitaPeterson]

You can't get a legitimate license for that as a home user though can you?

Yes, you can. See the response above.

One could argue about the morality (not the legality!) of using an enterprise key for individuals, but 1) the alternative is much worse - and users should have a choice! - and 2) M$'s greed notwithstanding, they presumably still get some money even from such gray markets, while they would get absolutely zero from fed-up people who just move to Linux or other alternatives...

 

[WelshBloke]

I'm fine with the morality of it but reselling enterprise licenses is definitely in "dodgy" territory. I'm not going to confirm or deny that my ltsc win11 VM is using one of those licences but there's no guarantee that Microsoft won't cancel it at some point.

 

[AnitaPeterson]

"but there's no guarantee that Microsoft won't cancel it at some point"

How would they know?

 

[BonzaiDuck]

I'm fine with the morality of it but reselling enterprise licenses is definitely in "dodgy" territory. I'm not going to confirm or deny that my ltsc win11 VM is using one of those licences but there's no guarantee that Microsoft won't cancel it at some point.

I really don't think that will happen. Now . . . some of the HW/SW/computer choices we make are not based on "dead certainty," but any scientific approach to anything includes an element of uncertainty in the True-False declarations or hypothesis tests.

Was not a "standard" Enterprise version available to the public? I thought that option was out there when I selected either Home or Pro. If you bought the Enterprise version, why would you be legally barred from upgrading it to "LTSC"? And for that matter "IoT"? IoT merely stripped out the bloat from the Pro/Home/Enterprise, and the LTSC gave it "long term servicing channel". It doesn't really cost M$ anything if they maintain an LTSC for corporate users, who are the ones paying for it. If we are "free riders", we aren't taking away anything from the corporate users. M$ MIGHT lose an opportunity to make more money from the general enthusiast and mainstreamer public, but with the corporate customer base already in the bag, why would they much care? They're RETIRING Windows 10 -- in a "tug-of-war" with a market that is only slowly giving it up.

I surmise that M$ won't pay someone to search through their database of activations and find "somebody" who happens to have been a "home user" for their entire computing career, like Eric Cartman the World of Warcraft gamer.

The rest of it, for instance "policing" resellers who aren't "really Microsoft Partners" or who sit somewhere on the edge of the Dark Web like circling the event horizon of a Black Hole -- leave it to Microsoft. The question is, EVEN if the reseller is not legit, how much does it cost, and would you be willing to spend that money, to go after the customers of illegitimate businesses, especially if they were mistaken, confused or deceived in things asserted by the reseller of concern?

We can argue about this! But, really, what is our "skin in the game"? I say it's mostly a matter of whether the resellers get your credit card information and abuse it! Let Microsoft hire the Cyber-Pinkertons and discipline their markets!

Matt Dillon ain't got nuthin' on me, and Ah ain't no Dep-u-tee!!

 

[WelshBloke]

"but there's no guarantee that Microsoft won't cancel it at some point"

How would they know?

They do audits sometimes but I don't know what criteria they use. I guess IP addresses would give a fair hint.

 

[BonzaiDuck]

They do audits sometimes but I don't know what criteria they use. I guess IP addresses would give a fair hint.

From the "CSI and Scientific Approach to Truth Discovery", she has a point.

Now WelshBloke also poses a possible scenario: they could do an audit. How would they perform such an audit?

They're not going to examine every active license in the Microsoft Universe of half the world's computers, or at least those with "Enterprise" editions. They might perform random or systematic sampling. So if they dredge up some "instances" in their sample, are they then going to hunt down "which Enterprise LTSC" found it's way to this or that computer or user? That's an expense. But start with the idea that the sample is not the universe, and all those in the universe not sampled are also "not caught".

They'd still need answers to some additional questions, and I doubt that AI-enabled "investigation" would be capable of presenting those questions to some user. It might require personal contact. That's another expense.

At the very worst, we're all standing here, posing questions, scenarios and conclusions. We're not sure who knows for sure. But I KNOW! MICROSOFT KNOWS! Do we need to stir the pot with MICROSOFT?!

 

[WelshBloke]

Just had the alert at work that all our PCs are going to transition to win11 over the next two weeks.
So that's going to be fun.

In separate news I'm on holiday for two weeks starting from tomorrow!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Just had the alert at work that all our PCs are going to transition to win11 over the next two weeks.
So that's going to be fun.

In separate news I'm on holiday for two weeks starting from tomorrow!

Well, Mate, you're in the thick of it now. So what would you do for two weeks?

Back in June, I was traveling up the Eastern Sierras to visit my Bro south of Reno, NV. I stopped in at the Whiskey Creek Restaurant and Saloon in Bishop, CA.

So there was this guy at the bar. I spoke up: "Do I detect something of the UK here?" Well, this fellow -- probably in his twenties or thirties -- was involved in A Great Undertaking. He was hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, probably headed for Oregon on foot!

So, WelshBloke? What are you going to do for those two weeks? Something exciting? We owe it to ourselves -- when our health is still good, don't we?

 

[WelshBloke]

Well, Mate, you're in the thick of it now. So what would you do for two weeks?


Back in June, I was traveling up the Eastern Sierras to visit my Bro south of Reno, NV. I stopped in at the Whiskey Creek Restaurant and Saloon in Bishop, CA.

So there was this guy at the bar. I spoke up: "Do I detect something of the UK here?" Well, this fellow -- probably in his twenties or thirties -- was involved in A Great Undertaking. He was hiking the Pacific Coast Trail, probably headed for Oregon on foot!

So, WelshBloke? What are you going to do for those two weeks? Something exciting? We owe it to ourselves -- when our health is still good, don't we?

Well I'm going to spend the time riding horses and cycling in mid Wales. With a bit of drinking beer and sitting by rivers.

And it's not going to involve technology or Windows upgrades at all!

 

[BonzaiDuck]

Well I'm going to spend the time riding horses and cycling in mid Wales. With a bit of drinking beer and sitting by rivers.

And it's not going to involve technology or Windows upgrades at all!

That sounds like a great way to spend two weeks. I should inventory my gear in the garage. I could camp out in the national forest off the US 395 when I'm motoring to visit my brother. I've been on vacation for 25 years, now . . .

Sitting by rivers -- do you have a fly-rod?