XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

Is anyone here contemplating staying on Windows 10 but still getting free hotfixes?
<https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/>

Mainstream support for most Windows 10 editions (Home, Pro, Pro Education,
Pro for Workstations, Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise, and Enterprise Multi-Session) version 22H2 is scheduled to end on October 14, 2025.

But Windows 10 LTSC Editions still receive security and quality updates.

For example Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 (version 1809) support ends on January 9, 2029 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (version 21H2) has extended support until January 13, 2032.

I can live without feature updates.
But you have to re-install from scratch, apparently.

Unless... there's a trick?

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Fri, 25 Apr 2025 00:55:04 -0000 (UTC), Marion <marion@facts.com>
wrote:

Is anyone here contemplating staying on Windows 10 but still getting free >hotfixes?
<https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/>

Mainstream support for most Windows 10 editions (Home, Pro, Pro Education, >Pro for Workstations, Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise, and Enterprise >Multi-Session) version 22H2 is scheduled to end on October 14, 2025.

But Windows 10 LTSC Editions still receive security and quality updates.

For example Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 (version 1809) support ends on >January 9, 2029 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (version 21H2) has >extended support until January 13, 2032.

I can live without feature updates.
But you have to re-install from scratch, apparently.

I haven't had to call Windows support since I began using Windows 10,
so I hope I'll be able turvive without having to after October.


--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

W Fri, 25 Apr 2025 07:18:36 +0200, Steve Hayes napisal:

For example Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 (version 1809) support ends on >>January 9, 2029 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (version 21H2) has >>extended support until January 13, 2032.

I can live without feature updates.
But you have to re-install from scratch, apparently.

I haven't had to call Windows support since I began using Windows 10,
so I hope I'll be able turvive without having to after October.

It's critical bugfixes you might want that you won't even know about.

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On 4/25/2025 1:18 AM, Steve Hayes wrote:

I can live without feature updates.
But you have to re-install from scratch, apparently.

I haven't had to call Windows support since I began using Windows 10,
so I hope I'll be able turvive without having to after October.

It's mainly about security updates. But you have to
buy an enterprise license. This was much easier wth XP.
A single Registry entry identiying the system as kiosk
was enough to get updates.

Personally I had a lot of probems with my one attempt to
run an offline security update. Since then I just lock the
gates. I don't want MS on any of my computers. And I
don't use MS software like MS Office or Remote Desktop.
I removed Edge. So there's not much in their updates that
would be relevant.

The only things I updated on XP were mostly functionality,
like a TLS update. I think I got a wanncry patch. That was
it, running XP SP3 to early 2024. (I moved to 10 only because
browsers and some software were leaving XP behind.)

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On 25/04/2025 01:55, Marion wrote:

Is anyone here contemplating staying on Windows 10 but still getting free hotfixes?
<https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/22/windows_10_ltsc/>

Mainstream support for most Windows 10 editions (Home, Pro, Pro Education, Pro for Workstations, Enterprise, Education, IoT Enterprise, and Enterprise Multi-Session) version 22H2 is scheduled to end on October 14, 2025.

But Windows 10 LTSC Editions still receive security and quality updates.

For example Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 (version 1809) support ends on January 9, 2029 and Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (version 21H2) has extended support until January 13, 2032.

I can live without feature updates.
But you have to re-install from scratch, apparently.

Unless... there's a trick?

Unless you have an enterprise product key you will need to buy a Volume
License Agreement.

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

Newyana2 wrote to us on Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:40:50 -0400:

It's mainly about security updates. But you have to
buy an enterprise license.

To implement the suggestions to switch to those Windows 10 versions in the article whose support ends January 9, 2029 or January 13, 2032, do you need
to buy them first? Any idea how much? Maybe it's worth it for the updates?

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Fri, 4/25/2025 4:02 PM, Hank wrote:

Newyana2 wrote to us on Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:40:50 -0400:

   It's mainly about security updates. But you have to
buy an enterprise license.

To implement the suggestions to switch to those Windows 10 versions in the article whose support ends January 9, 2029 or January 13, 2032, do you need to buy them first? Any idea how much? Maybe it's worth it for the updates?

When is the last time something with "Enterprise" in the name,
was cheap ??? This is how they make their money, off Enterprise.

Why do you think the SOHO community gets nervous, when there
is a suggestion that Enterprise pricing might be used instead ?
Or SKUs adjusted, so you end up in deep dodo.

Microsoft licensing policies, determines what kind of hardware
servers people buy. Maybe a 64 core machine might have been
cheaper than a series of smaller machines (hardware cost), but you *first*
look at the license prices, to see what the overall package
cost is for each proposed solution. That's how important info
on Enterprise Licensing is. For a company like Dell, they
might even stop selling certain sizes of machines because
there would be no uptake.

For example, core licenses come in 5-packs (five cores) and
1-pack, and you buy enough of various sized licenses until
you have enough for your 64 core machine. It's not a continuum
where you just "ask the man for a 33 core license".

It's so complicated, Microsoft has "licensing experts",
just to answer your questions about "what is the cheapest
way to get to 64".

The current CEO of Microsoft, claimed when he took over,
he wanted to "clean up the licensing", and then the
licensing people had a chat with him and... Nothing changed,
as near as I can tell.

When companies do this to one another, the terminology is:

"It's just business"

That's just to give you some idea what the topic area
"smells like". I'm not a licensing expert and
I don't play one in movies. But the nature of it
is such, you don't buy hardware, without checking
the license prices first.

Paul

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On 4/25/2025 4:02 PM, Hank wrote:

Newyana2 wrote to us on Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:40:50 -0400:

   It's mainly about security updates. But you have to
buy an enterprise license.

To implement the suggestions to switch to those Windows 10 versions in the article whose support ends January 9, 2029 or January 13, 2032, do you need to buy them first? Any idea how much? Maybe it's worth it for the updates?

I don't know what it will cost. Personally I would no longer
accept MS updates if they paid me... Well, depending on
what they were willing to pay. I could maybe come up with
an hourly rate for being a focus group lackey. :)

Buying from MS is surely expensive. I checked the source
that I've bought keys from, but they don't have enterprise.
If you buy enterprise then you also need to install fresh, in
which case new hardware might make sense. Enterprise
is just their quirky term for corporate. It's a system sold by
number of seats. That's where MS make most of their money.

So the idea is slightly interesting, but you can probably buy
or build a new Windows 11 computer for less. Or you can buy
1-2 years additional support.

Before you open your wallet I'd suggest looking at a recent
list of updates. Nearly all are for bugs in unsafe MS software.
If you don't use their software then you don't need to fixes.
(MS Office, Sharepoint, Remote Desktop, etc.)

If you block remote execution and block script in office
programs, email, PDF readers, etc, and use a firewall to block
malware coming in or calling out, then you probably don't need
these kinds of fixes, anyway. Additionally, the majority of bugs
are "privilege elevation". Those are not big risks for the average
person. These are patches for corporate desktops, where
security hasn't been dealt with properly and the biggest
concern is empolyees accessing things they're not supposed to.
Other big issues are "mark of the web". That means a file is
downloaded without beingrestricted. Do you allow mark of the web?
I don't.

Here's a typical example, from last September, that lists what
was in that month's bug fix.

However, if you do use Remote Desktop, allow script in office
and PDF files, etc. then monthly patches are pretty much your
only protection. They won't help against 0-days, but they will
help against patched vulneralibities that reckless people are
subject to.

I don't want to talk you out of patches. If they don't ruin
your system, and if you don't bother understanding the issues,
then they're a good idea. I'm just warning that this is not a black/
white or safe/sorry issue.

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Fri, 4/25/2025 5:27 PM, Newyana2 wrote:

On 4/25/2025 4:02 PM, Hank wrote:

Newyana2 wrote to us on Fri, 25 Apr 2025 08:40:50 -0400:

   It's mainly about security updates. But you have to
buy an enterprise license.

To implement the suggestions to switch to those Windows 10 versions in the >> article whose support ends January 9, 2029 or January 13, 2032, do you need >> to buy them first? Any idea how much? Maybe it's worth it for the updates?

  I don't know what it will cost. Personally I would no longer
accept MS updates if they paid me... Well, depending on
what they were willing to pay. I could maybe come up with
an hourly rate for being a focus group lackey. :)

These are post-OS security updates.

I can promise you, they won't over-exert themselves.

You'll receive more download bytes of Windows Defender AV
definitions, than Security Updates.

The feature set will be "frozen" at that point.

Paul

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Fri, 25 Apr 2025 23:54:41 -0400, Paul wrote:

  I don't know what it will cost. Personally I would no longer
accept MS updates if they paid me... Well, depending on
what they were willing to pay. I could maybe come up with
an hourly rate for being a focus group lackey. :)

These are post-OS security updates.

I can promise you, they won't over-exert themselves.

You'll receive more download bytes of Windows Defender AV
definitions, than Security Updates.

The feature set will be "frozen" at that point.

The most stable software is code that nobody is working on, but of course,
it's also likely to be the most attacked software for the very same reason.

What people would need to weigh I would think is the cost of an Enterprise license versus the cost of switching out whatever is needed to upgrade.

What do most home users who can't upgrade need in terms of hardware?
Is it the motherboard needs to support TPM 2.0 & UEFI Secure Boot?

If you switch out the motherboard, won't that also need a new license?

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XPost: alt.comp.os.windows-11

On Sat, 4/26/2025 12:55 AM, Peter wrote:

On Fri, 25 Apr 2025 23:54:41 -0400, Paul wrote:

  I don't know what it will cost. Personally I would no longer
accept MS updates if they paid me... Well, depending on
what they were willing to pay. I could maybe come up with
an hourly rate for being a focus group lackey. :)

These are post-OS security updates.

I can promise you, they won't over-exert themselves.

You'll receive more download bytes of Windows Defender AV
definitions, than Security Updates.

The feature set will be "frozen" at that point.

The most stable software is code that nobody is working on, but of course, it's also likely to be the most attacked software for the very same reason.

What people would need to weigh I would think is the cost of an Enterprise license versus the cost of switching out whatever is needed to upgrade.

What do most home users who can't upgrade need in terms of hardware?
Is it the motherboard needs to support TPM 2.0 & UEFI Secure Boot?

If you switch out the motherboard, won't that also need a new license?

A System Builder SKU of the OS, can't be moved. It is installed
on one piece of hardware and that is it. The hardware-hash calculation
value, would not match any entry on the Microsoft license server,
and the OS would not activate, if you change the motherboard. Generally,
the onboard NIC MAC value is a pretty strong identifier for the
machine. Any DMI declaration about what motherboard model it is,
isn't as strong an identifier.

There is supposed to be a Retail SKU which can be moved.
If you change the motherboard, that should be OK, plus or minus
some amount of ceremony. With the Retail SKU, the machines checking
in can't all be running off the same license, and your last
license transaction is the one that counts. The others would
show Not Genuine or such. Retail SKU is generally twice as
expensive as System Builder.

The most I ever paid for a license, was $300 for Win2K from Computer City
(no longer in business here at least). That was back in the days when
computer stores had aisles of software in boxes. The fixation with
licenses wasn't quite the same back then (wasn't implemented exactly
the same way). But also back then, there were "Upgrade Versions" of
software. For that $300, that wasn't even a stand-alone version!
I had to install that over top of Windows 98 or something, although
the qualifying OS had nothing to do with Win2K. And generally the
installation procedure for an Upgrade, only worked with one qualifying OS.
IT was the Win10 Free Upgrade that worked with Win7 Sp1 and Win 8.1,
which was the first multi-OS qualifying on Upgrade.

This is why you need licensing experts, to remember all the twists
and turns in the road.

Paul

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