Forum Discussion
Windows 10 LTSC Lockdown
I am the desktop deployment guy for a manufacturing company. We currently use windows 7 machines that are locked down to the point that the user can only run apps that are specified in the Start Menu...
KenDick
Microsoft
MicrosoftHi Scott,
I'm sure you know more about your environment than I do, however if you're only looking to leverage LTSC to avoid having a Windows Servicing plan for your organization then you're really not solving this.
There are other things to consider with looking to leverage LTSC:
Application Support: There are ISVs that don't support LTSC. There's also potentially a gap in APIs being used. Office ProPlus also isn't supported with LTSC.
Silicon Support: Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC will support the currently released processors and chipsets at the time of release of the LTSC. When choosing to utilize the LTSC, you must factor hardware into your decision, making sure you have a long-term supply of devices and service components for the life of your expected usage of the device. If the hardware your device is using needs to be replaced in five years, do you have a replacement supply to support the version you are running? You also want to be sure you have a hardware solution that will provide you with extended driver/firmware support to match your expected lifecycle use of the LTSC for that device.
If you haven't already checked it out, look at the Ignite session around LTSC in the Enterprise: https://myignite.techcommunity.microsoft.com/sessions/64512
Hi Ken, could you expand on "Office ProPlus also isn't supported with LTSC." please as this is a statement i've become confused with/ I can install Office Pro Plus versions onto LTSC 2016 and 2019 no problem so what is the 'not supported' aspect of this and what does that actually mean?
Hey Farquea. Microsoft is basically trying for force everyone onto the Windows SAAS model. What MS is saying is that the current version of windows LTSC may not be supported on future chipsets.
I was using the LTSC as my base for everything, as I liked the stability, until we purchased a Dell XPS 13. My deployment strategy uses LTSC and the latest drivers from dell, the graphics driver, synaptics driver and something else would not work correctly. Once I switched the operating system in the task sequence from LTSC to the SAAS version it worked perfectly. I wasted a couple of days trying to figure that out.
This is the same as the BS they pulled with the Skylake/Kabylake processor to force users off of Windows 7. Unlike previous versions of windows you can't download and install an updated .net, its baked in. So unless you get the SAAS version you are stuck with 4.7 on 1809. When the next version of LTSC comes out, it will have that version of .Net and the cycle will continue. I have PC's that run a manufacturing process. I don't need anything other than the basic windows. The LTSC is actually a requirement for some of the software we have.
Originally, this was posted.
Microsoft also plans to end support for Office 365 ProPlus on the following Windows 10 versions, starting on Jan. 14, 2020:
- Any Windows 10 LTSC release
- Windows Server 2016 and older
- Windows 8.1 and older
The Jan. 14, 2020 end-of-support date seems rather accelerated. For instance, Windows 8.1 will fall out of support on Jan. 10, 2023, according to a Microsoft support page, so users of Windows 8.1 and Office 365 ProPlus will have about three years less support under Microsoft's revised policy than might have been anticipated.
This was revised again in September.
Office 365 ProPlus support on those systems was supposed to end on Jan. 14, 2020. Here are Microsoft's revised support dates for Office 365 ProPlus, as announced Thursday by Spataro:
- Office 365 ProPlus will continue to be supported on Windows 8.1 through January 2023, which is the end of support date for Windows 8.1.
- Office 365 ProPlus will also continue to be supported on Windows Server 2016 until October 2025
I think the best part of this conversation is he obviously didn't even read what I was asking for and just saw LTSC and started spouting the typical MS BS. My scenario is precisely what LTSC was designed for.
