Where to get Windows 10/11 LTS licenses?

[_Grid21]

I have a few computers that I use for production stuff, audio, video, etc. The one machine is Windows 10 Pro, the other 2 are laptops that are Windows 11 Pro and Home. Where can I get LTS licenses for those machines? Especially the Windows 10 pro machine, upgrading to Windows 11 is COMPLETELY out of the question because of all the licenses for the audio and video software. Also, I REFUSE to upgrade to Windows 11 on my main work machine, it's bad enough that my 2 laptops have it. For the defendant's future, my Windows 10 Pro will have to stay that way and need LTS support. The same goes for my Windows 11 laptops, I will not install whatever next Windows there is because I do not want anything to do with the useless A.I. none-sense they've built into what comes next. Also before anyone says it, no Linux is not an option for me because of the video and audio editing software I use on a daily basis.

 

Thanks in advance!

[manikyath]

i mean.. LTSC2021 gets a whole 14 extra months of support, and i dont suppose you're gonna "sidegrade" your systems to windows 10 IoT Enterprise to get more than that. (in case you missed it - IoT = internet of things - it's an embedded flavour.)

 

realisticly, the choice here is to upgrade, to walled garden your production machine(s) so that being out of date isnt as much of a security issue, or to go for an alternative solution.

 

on that note.. you dont need said "AI none-sense", instead of spending your time trying to find ways to stay on 10, spend your time to learn how to configure and/or modify windows 11. i've been tossing a modified windows 11 ISO on some side machines here and there, and it's honestly a pretty nice experience, and unlike windows 10, on windows 11 customizations appear to stick.

 

EDIT: LTSC 1809 gets you until 2029.. 

as for how to get LTSC - it's a B2B thing only, and only for business accounts with at least 5 licenses, trough a microsoft partner.

EDIT EDIT: if you are gonna bother with setting up a busines account for this stuff - set up policy management on your windows 11 clients, disable all dat sheit you dont need, and call it a day.

[_Grid21]

37 minutes ago, manikyath said:

i mean.. LTSC2021 gets a whole 14 extra months of support, and i dont suppose you're gonna "sidegrade" your systems to windows 10 IoT Enterprise to get more than that. (in case you missed it - IoT = internet of things - it's an embedded flavour.)

 

realisticly, the choice here is to upgrade, to walled garden your production machine(s) so that being out of date isnt as much of a security issue, or to go for an alternative solution.

 

on that note.. you dont need said "AI none-sense", instead of spending your time trying to find ways to stay on 10, spend your time to learn how to configure and/or modify windows 11. i've been tossing a modified windows 11 ISO on some side machines here and there, and it's honestly a pretty nice experience, and unlike windows 10, on windows 11 customizations appear to stick.

 

EDIT: LTSC 1809 gets you until 2029.. 

as for how to get LTSC - it's a B2B thing only, and only for business accounts with at least 5 licenses, trough a microsoft partner.

EDIT EDIT: if you are gonna bother with setting up a busines account for this stuff - set up policy management on your windows 11 clients, disable all dat sheit you dont need, and call it a day.

I saw there was an Enterprise Windows 10, but didn't know if IoT was the same as desktop Enterprise Windows 10. I am not as familiar with making my own custom iSO Windows 11, and it is an option, but then you also have licenses to worry about with VST/VST3 plugins, and other software licenses. I don't wanna reinstall Windows again and have to try to remember EVERYTHING that is installed and go through the pain of finding all my keys for stuff.

[Kilrah]

So wait until 2025 and see what MS offers, at worst you just continue running this as is and that's it. 

None of the Enterprise/LTS stuff is available to individuals and you wouldn't get it on there without a full reinstall anyway.

[manikyath]

5 minutes ago, _Grid21 said:

I don't wanna reinstall Windows again

then LTSC isnt an option, because it'll require reinstalling to get on an LTSC branch.

[_Grid21]

12 minutes ago, Kilrah said:

So wait until 2025 and see what MS offers, at worst you just continue running this as is and that's it. 

None of the Enterprise/LTS stuff is available to individuals and you wouldn't get it on there without a full reinstall anyway.

 

8 minutes ago, manikyath said:

then LTSC isnt an option, because it'll require reinstalling to get on an LTSC branch.

What option do I have, if I really don't want to deal with the built-in A.I. software? 

[Electronics Wizardy]

3 minutes ago, _Grid21 said:

 

What option do I have, if I really don't want to deal with the built-in A.I. software? 

Linux? Windows server? 2022 Its pretty close to win 10 and support till about 2032. Its not cheap though.

 

I don't see AI being that different in 10 vs 11 though. They have added a lot of the stuff to both of the OSes. You also don't have to use the AI stuff if you don't want to.

[manikyath]

22 minutes ago, _Grid21 said:

 

What option do I have, if I really don't want to deal with the built-in A.I. software? 

- not upgrade and walled garden your devices

- customize your install, or just configure most of it away.

- just dont deal with the built in AI software? did you know that playing pinball on windows XP wasnt a requirement? 

[_Grid21]

On 1/3/2024 at 5:53 PM, Electronics Wizardy said:

Linux? Windows server? 2022 Its pretty close to win 10 and support till about 2032. Its not cheap though.

 

I don't see AI being that different in 10 vs 11 though. They have added a lot of the stuff to both of the OSes. You also don't have to use the AI stuff if you don't want to.

If I were to upgrade my main workstation, do I HAVE TO reinstall Windows? I really don't wanna mess with VST/effect software licenses and have to remember every login and remember everything installed. Is there a way to grab an install list off my PC so I know what I had installed to make it easier to remember?

[Electronics Wizardy]

22 minutes ago, _Grid21 said:

If I were to upgrade my main workstation, do I HAVE TO reinstall Windows? I really don't wanna mess with VST/effect software licenses and have to remember every login and remember everything installed. Is there a way to grab an install list off my PC so I know what I had installed to make it easier to remember?

Upgrade to what?

 

You can upgrade to windows 11 inplace. You can't sidegrade to windows server/ltsc or other version without a reinstall. 

 

You can get a list of installed programs from places like the apps list in settings.

 

I'd just stay on normal 10 for a bit, then upgrad to 11 when its almost out of support here.  Once Microsoft drops support for 10 3rd party support for things like browsers is gonna go somewhat fast, and its gonna be easier to be on the supported version of windows.

[_Grid21]

18 hours ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

Upgrade to what?

 

You can upgrade to windows 11 inplace. You can't sidegrade to windows server/ltsc or other version without a reinstall. 

 

You can get a list of installed programs from places like the apps list in settings.

 

I'd just stay on normal 10 for a bit, then upgrad to 11 when its almost out of support here.  Once Microsoft drops support for 10 3rd party support for things like browsers is gonna go somewhat fast, and its gonna be easier to be on the supported version of windows.

I would like to know why we were told that Windows 10 was the last OS, and then they slapped us with Windows 11. 

[Electronics Wizardy]

3 hours ago, _Grid21 said:

I would like to know why we were told that Windows 10 was the last OS, and then they slapped us with Windows 11. 

It seems like the statement that 10 would be the last release from a Microsoft dev at a conference, and wasn't a office message from the marketing team about future os releases. The dev likely didn't have a say in the naming of future os releases, and that likely could have been the plan at the time.

 

Also plans change. You kinda have to deal with the Microsoft BS if your using their OS, but switching to Linux or Mac is a pain, so sometimes just gotta deal with it.

[_Grid21]

13 hours ago, Electronics Wizardy said:

It seems like the statement that 10 would be the last release from a Microsoft dev at a conference, and wasn't a office message from the marketing team about future os releases. The dev likely didn't have a say in the naming of future os releases, and that likely could have been the plan at the time.

 

Also plans change. You kinda have to deal with the Microsoft BS if your using their OS, but switching to Linux or Mac is a pain, so sometimes just gotta deal with it.

Any kind of corporation is a pain, and what's worst, if a 3rd party you use, say like a VST3 plugin, isn't supported on an alternate system like Linux, it makes it even worse. I am just trying to avoid any and all A.I. stuff in Windows, and just the other week, had to hide an update that was going to add Copliot to Windows 10. The funny thing is, the tool I used to hide that update, was a Microsoft product. xD