Windows Server "lite"

[Dujith]

Next month i'm going to replace an old surveillance server with a new one.

Now in the past i always used a Windows Server edition since unplanned restarts is not something i want in a surveillance server  

And that always worked out perfectly as log in once in a while to do the Windows Update and restart whenever is the best moment for me and the ones using it.

 

I realize Windows Server is a bit overkill for a PC just running 1 application so i was looking to use Windows 10 Pro, but without some hacks (that might get rolled back) it seems i can only tell it when its an good time to update.

Thing is i want full control, not when Windows thinks its okay.

 

So my question is 2 fold:

1. Is there a Windows Server "lite" option?

2. Is there a normal way for Windows 10 Pro to install updates only when i tell it to?

[AnonymousGuy]

Windows 10 Enterprise and you can set it to not auto-reboot if there is a user logged in.  On a home computer users never log out, anyways.

[Radium_Angel]

Win10 LTSB perhaps? I believe you can set updates to be totally manual, it's as close to Win10 Lite that I know of anyway

[Dujith]

8 minutes ago, AnonymousGuy said:

Windows 10 Enterprise and you can set it to not auto-reboot if there is a user logged in.  On a home computer users never log out, anyways.

 

4 minutes ago, Radium_Angel said:

Win10 LTSB perhaps? I believe you can set updates to be totally manual, it's as close to Win10 Lite that I know of anyway

Sadly Windows 10 Enterprise is a subscription based model (LTSB is Enterprise , you can install LTSB only with an Enterprise key)

While this might be an option, i would like to go with the single purchase. They way its now with subscriptions is that small companies try to avoid them.

Sub for office365, sub for the virus scanner, sub for the IT guy, sub for everything these days and it is starting to get alot each month  

[AnonymousGuy]

Just now, Dujith said:

 

Sadly Windows 10 Enterprise is a subscription based model (LTSB is Enterprise , you can install LTSB only with an Enterprise key)

While this might be an option, i would like to go with the single purchase. They way its now with subscriptions is that small companies try to avoid them.

Sub for office365, sub for the virus scanner, sub for the IT guy, sub for everything these days and it is starting to get alot each month  

I got Win 10 Enterprise LTSB from MSDN with a regular key and no need for any enterprise activation server, so it does appear possible to use LTSB as a desktop non-enterprise OS.

[Jarno.]

Do you really need windows for that application to run? There isnt really a light version of windows aside from windows 8.1 embedded maybe. About rebooting issue, you can just disable it by local group policy at windows 10 pro.

[Dujith]

1 minute ago, AnonymousGuy said:

I got Win 10 Enterprise LTSB from MSDN with a regular key and no need for any enterprise activation server, so it does appear possible to use LTSB as a desktop non-enterprise OS.

I could not find anything besides the licences part. I'll try to find that. As LTSB would be perfect for this.

1 minute ago, Jarno. said:

Do you really need windows for that application to run? There isnt really a light version of windows aside from windows 8.1 embedded maybe. About rebooting issue. you can just disable it by local group policy at windows 10 pro.

Sadly yes  the surveillance software only runs on Windows. Even if there was some kind of professional surveillance software for linux. Their other locations all run this, so atm its 1 client on phone or PC and they can access everything.

[AnonymousGuy]

5 minutes ago, Dujith said:

I could not find anything besides the licences part. I'll try to find that. As LTSB would be perfect for this.

Sadly yes  the surveillance software only runs on Windows. Even if there was some kind of professional surveillance software for linux. Their other locations all run this, so atm its 1 client on phone or PC and they can access everything.

Alternatively, why don't you just run Win 7 or Win 8 on this thing?  The only reason to use Win 10 is for DX12.

[Jarno.]

8 minutes ago, AnonymousGuy said:

Alternatively, why don't you just run Win 7 or Win 8 on this thing?  The only reason to use Win 10 is for DX12.

Probably because w7 extended support will be ended at 14 januari 2020. which is less then 2 years. W8 could work though.

[Redemptions]

Depending on the software needs, investigate Windows Server Nano & Windows Server Core, those *might* work.

[Radium_Angel]

Or, if the hardware is powerful enough, run Windows in a VM...

Then you could run Win7/8/8.1 and update as required, while the main hardware runs some form of unix.

[Levisallanon]

If the software runs in UWP you could use:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot-core/windows-iot-core

Or else you could look into this:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/iot-core/windows-iot-enterprise

[Dujith]

@Levisallanon @Radium_Angel @Redemptions @Jarno. @AnonymousGuy

 

Thanks for the suggestions  I have been reading up on LTSB and getting an official version is a no go for us a small company.

There are many hacks to get windows 10 to act like LTSB but while i might do that for myself. I wont do that for a customer.

 

In the end i'll go with the 2016 Server Essential edition. Still a tad overkill but rock stable for the sites i installed. So go with the devil you know right?