If you really gotta stick with windows, you upgrade to windows 11. ESU is fine for a bit, but everyone will start dropping support for windows 10 in the next couple of years, starting with nvidia in 2026. LTSC is not for regular users.
Just switch to Linux. You don’t have to hope that you don’t get left behind, and you actually control your system. If you’re willing to deal with LTSC then you’re more than capable of installing Linux and running a VM if you really need Windows.
If people really need Windows, they might need an actual machine running Windows because the VM won’t work with their use case. I still use old hardware that doesn’t work in a VM so it’s running on a dedicated PC that, thankfully, doesn’t need to connect to the internet nor be upgraded to Windows 11.
There are a few use cases, but generally very few and far between. The people who need it already know, so it doesn’t need to be brought up every time. If you don’t know you need it then you don’t.
You can take a look at the windows 7 situation if you want a preview of what to expect in the next few years if you stick with windows 10. The other option is linux, we have penguin plushies.
If you really definitely gotta stick with windows for some reason: LTSC + massgrave for activation
Beyond pirating, is there a straightforward way to obtain ltsc? Can it be run as an update or does it require a clean installation?
become a company and pay lots of money
No. It’s the best fork that is not supposed to be within reach for us “unworthy individual users”.
(Although since massgrave allows you to activate it perpetually it doesn’t really matter how many steps they throw for the “right way” XD)
Off of a clean install is all I’ve done with their scripts, but ymmv
If you really gotta stick with windows, you upgrade to windows 11. ESU is fine for a bit, but everyone will start dropping support for windows 10 in the next couple of years, starting with nvidia in 2026. LTSC is not for regular users.
No.
Just switch to Linux. You don’t have to hope that you don’t get left behind, and you actually control your system. If you’re willing to deal with LTSC then you’re more than capable of installing Linux and running a VM if you really need Windows.
If people really need Windows, they might need an actual machine running Windows because the VM won’t work with their use case. I still use old hardware that doesn’t work in a VM so it’s running on a dedicated PC that, thankfully, doesn’t need to connect to the internet nor be upgraded to Windows 11.
There are a few use cases, but generally very few and far between. The people who need it already know, so it doesn’t need to be brought up every time. If you don’t know you need it then you don’t.
You can take a look at the windows 7 situation if you want a preview of what to expect in the next few years if you stick with windows 10. The other option is linux, we have penguin plushies.
Still no.
Eh, you’ll come around.
No.
If you don’t have hardware that supports Windows 11, 10 LTSC is good enough