Microsoft's support rules for Windows 10 LTSB void allure to enterprise customers

[Danielx64]

http://www.reseller.co.nz/article/614845/microsoft-support-rules-windows-10-ltsb-void-allure-enterprise-customers/

 

Quote

Microsoft has largely invalidated one of Windows 10's signature concessions to corporate customers, said Gartner analysts who recommended that enterprises reconsider running the operating system's most stable and static edition.

 

"Microsoft has clarified support plans for LTSB, highlighting restrictions and caveats that could make this an unviable strategy," wrote Stephen Kleynhans and Michael Silver in a Gartner research note to clients earlier this month.

 

LTSB, or "Long-Term Servicing Branch," is one of three release tracks that enterprises can select for their Windows 10 devices. Unlike the others -- called "Current Branch" (CB) and "Current Branch for Business" (CBB) -- LTSB does not involve once- or twice-yearly upgrades that add new features and morph the user interface (UI). Instead, LTSB versions receive security updates only.

So that mean that if you use LTSB, you need to be careful with your hardware, esp motherboard and CPU.

[George P Global Moderator]

Yeah, I don't think this is a issue like Gartner makes it out to be, big enterprises don't go out and buy new PCs on mass every year or two, they hold off for longer, and the need to keep buying new hardware for business is less and less, only higher end tasks like CAD, 3D, video editing etc,  upgrade hardware often, and those are small numbers of systems that aren't going to be on the LTSB version of Windows 10 anyways.

 

The wording is also kind of general, I mean in the end if a business want's to run the same LTSB version on newer hardware they can, I don't think there's any specific system in place to block that option.

[Clirion]

Also LTSB has a release cadence as well.  It is not a quick as the CB, but it does happen.  So you update your LTSB (Version for Deployment) like you do other Windows 10. 

[Danielx64]

53 minutes ago, George P said:

The wording is also kind of general, I mean in the end if a business want's to run the same LTSB version on newer hardware they can, I don't think there's any specific system in place to block that option.

The only issue that you may run into would be drivers, so if you are stuck into a LTSB build for 10 years you may still be able to use a newer CPU/MB but it would be at your own risk sort of thing.

[margrave]

So they're not updating, or releasing new LTSB builds?

[George P Global Moderator]

24 minutes ago, margrave said:

So they're not updating, or releasing new LTSB builds?

They are, the key here in the wording, unless I'm wrong, is that when MS releases a new LTSB build it stops adding support for newer hardware for the older LTSB build.   Thus, if you planned to use the first LTSB build for 10 years and MS releases a new LTSB build 3 years in with support for the new chipsets and cpus, then the one you are running won't get that new hardware support.

 

Still, think it'll run fine but if you do get new hardware and some driver isn't supported on your, for example, 7 year old LTSB build of Windows 10, then you're out of luck, MS isn't going to add that support in.   You'll have to upgrade to a newer LTSB build.

[Daedroth]

We're running Windows 10 Education 1607 and having all sorts of problems. So I'm thinking about switching to LTSB, as it is available to us. The only concern I have is regarding critical and security updates. At the moment we use SCCM to push out Windows Updates, but only critical or security updates. If Microsoft will continue to provide critical and security updates for 1607 LTSB until the next LTSB version is released, then I don't see any reason for me not to use LTSB.

[Danielx64]

11 minutes ago, Daedroth said:

We're running Windows 10 Education 1607 and having all sorts of problems. So I'm thinking about switching to LTSB, as it is available to us. The only concern I have is regarding critical and security updates. At the moment we use SCCM to push out Windows Updates, but only critical or security updates. If Microsoft will continue to provide critical and security updates for 1607 LTSB until the next LTSB version is released, then I don't see any reason for me not to use LTSB.

The way I take it is that if you have 1607 LTSB build installed today, you will get updates for that build for the next 10 years regardless of when the next LTSB build is being released.

19 minutes ago, George P said:

They are, the key here in the wording, unless I'm wrong, is that when MS releases a new LTSB build it stops adding support for newer hardware for the older LTSB build.   Thus, if you planned to use the first LTSB build for 10 years and MS releases a new LTSB build 3 years in with support for the new chipsets and cpus, then the one you are running won't get that new hardware support.

 

Still, think it'll run fine but if you do get new hardware and some driver isn't supported on your, for example, 7 year old LTSB build of Windows 10, then you're out of luck, MS isn't going to add that support in.   You'll have to upgrade to a newer LTSB build.

That's pretty much correct. It like going from windows 7 to windows 8.1.

[George P Global Moderator]

18 minutes ago, Daedroth said:

We're running Windows 10 Education 1607 and having all sorts of problems. So I'm thinking about switching to LTSB, as it is available to us. The only concern I have is regarding critical and security updates. At the moment we use SCCM to push out Windows Updates, but only critical or security updates. If Microsoft will continue to provide critical and security updates for 1607 LTSB until the next LTSB version is released, then I don't see any reason for me not to use LTSB.

That's pretty much what you can do, still with one LTSB build until the next one comes out and upgrade then or if not just stick with it.  Security patches and so on will still be coming, just no new features and support for the newer hardware stuff.

 

I could be wrong but I bet MS will make a new ltsb build with the creators update, or redstone 3 later this year.

[Danielx64]

1 minute ago, George P said:

I could be wrong but I bet MS will make a new ltsb build with the creators update, or redstone 3 later this year.

I really do hope that is the case as we are pushing out windows 10 later on this year.

[Daedroth]

18 minutes ago, Danielx64 said:

The way I take it is that if you have 1607 LTSB build installed today, you will get updates for that build for the next 10 years regardless of when the next LTSB build is being released.

That's what I'd hoped. I'm currently testing Windows 10 Education 1607 on a handful of machines. Education is problematic as it comes with all the built-in apps, not only Edge (which is unsupported by education safe-guarding software) and Cortana, but also Candy Crush, etc. I know these can be disabled, but I'm fighting against numerous decisions that Microsoft decided would be a good idea to include in an Education version of the OS. Now I'm thinking about testing LTSB, as we need the stability for the curriculum, but also only critical and security updates only...no need for new features as they simply will not be needed or used.

[margrave]

59 minutes ago, George P said:

They are, the key here in the wording, unless I'm wrong, is that when MS releases a new LTSB build it stops adding support for newer hardware for the older LTSB build.   Thus, if you planned to use the first LTSB build for 10 years and MS releases a new LTSB build 3 years in with support for the new chipsets and cpus, then the one you are running won't get that new hardware support.

 

Still, think it'll run fine but if you do get new hardware and some driver isn't supported on your, for example, 7 year old LTSB build of Windows 10, then you're out of luck, MS isn't going to add that support in.   You'll have to upgrade to a newer LTSB build.

OH. So you need to update your LTSB builds also. Doesn't this kind of work against the purpose of the LTSB?

[George P Global Moderator]

Just now, margrave said:

OH. So you need to update your LTSB builds also. Doesn't this kind of work against the purpose of the LTSB?

If you buy new hardware 5 or whatever years down the line and you run into some issue with your original ltsb build then what else can you do but upgrade to the newer one?  If you plan to run the same hardware for close to 10 years and or if you do buy new hardware but the original LTSB build runs fine on it then there's no reason to bother upgrading to a newer build.

 

Think of it as having Windows 7 and installing it on a new skylake or kabylake or AMD Ryzon chipset and cpu, MS doesn't support these new cpus and chipsets on Windows 7, so if you as a business do run into a problem you're going to have to upgrade your OS to whatever the newest LTSB is at the time.   It all comes down to if you run into any hardware issues or not, otherwise just stick with it if it runs.  

[Clirion]

1 hour ago, margrave said:

OH. So you need to update your LTSB builds also. Doesn't this kind of work against the purpose of the LTSB?

Actually, no it does not work against it. 

[+Gary7 Subscriber²]

I would never use a LTSB release, sometimes I would like to but there are ways to trim the bloat out of Windows 10 if you are careful and know what do do and not do.

[Yorak]

I switched to LTSB from Pro yesterday. This is exactly what I have always wanted. Previously, I ran PowerShell scripts to remove all of the useless applications but LTSB never includes them to begin with. It does not include Cortana, Edge, Mail, Money, Music, News, OneNote, Sports, Weather and the Windows Store. I have no use for any of them - ever. The installation also used around 4 GB less space. I am perfectly fine with receiving only important security updates.

 

Microsoft does not recommend LTSB for general-purpose Surfaces (and in general it seems), but that is fine. Of course they want to push the Windows Store on users. My GTX 1080 came with Gears of War 4 and once I realized it requires the Store to install, I just opted out of that garbage.