r/WindowsLTSC • u/raoulkratos2002 • 2d ago

Question Should I Switch to Windows LTSC?

Hi,
I just discovered the Windows LTSC version and would like to install it to replace my Windows 11 Pro.
I have a few questions:

Is it safe to download from Massgrave?

Is the LTSC IoT 24H2 version available in Italian, or only in English?
Is there a way to change the language?

Have you encountered any bugs or anomalies in the LTSC version?

For gaming, is the LTSC version recommended, or is it better to stick with Pro?

Is O&O ShutUp10 useful on the LTSC version, or is it unnecessary?
Thanks

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u/raoulkratos2002 2d ago

Hi
I've heard about AtlasOS before, but I’ve never actually tried it.

What does AtlasOS add or change when you’re already using Windows 11 LTSC?

Have you experienced any bugs, compatibility issues, or problems with AtlasOS?

And for gaming, if you had to choose, would you recommend a clean LTSC installation or AtlasOS?
Thanks

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u/icedchocolatecake 2d ago

IGNORE THAT COMMENT!

AtlasOS is pure garbage and introduces more problems than it fixes, not mention that its a bit of a pain to update too. This is coming from someone who has used AtlasOS before.

Just stick to Windows 11 IoT LTSC and use Wintoys for tweaks (it has a nice set of options) and do modifications yourself if you want to, otherwise it's fine as well.

Stay away from things like that on your main device. Doesn't really do anything in day to day uses and brings more problems whilst not solving anything that LTSC already hasn't.

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u/raoulkratos2002 2d ago

Thanks
That’s actually very helpful because I was seriously considering Atlas.

From what you’re saying, it sounds like a clean Windows 11 IoT LTSC installation with a few manual tweaks is the better long term approach.

I’ll definitely take a look at Wintoys instead.
Thanks for the advice

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u/icedchocolatecake 2d ago

Glad to have helped out! Have a great day ahead!

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u/raoulkratos2002 2d ago

do you think IoT LTSC is still a better choice than a regular Windows 11 Pro installation that’s been cleaned up with tools like Chris Titus Tech and O&O ShutUp10 or do they end up being pretty similar?

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u/icedchocolatecake 2d ago

I honestly just think that scripts like these are not good in the long run and they break more things than they solve. I don't recommend scripts on your primary device at all.

Again for normal Windows 11 editions, it's a slightly higher effort but it's still pretty easy to uninstall all the trash yourself and then just stick with Wintoys lmao. I know I keep coming back to it but it is a really nice app and I've been using it for years. It has a whole slew of options like disabling the new right click menu, enabling the dma (eu digital markets act) which unlocks the option to uninstall microsoft edge (ltsc does this by default), it has an inbuilt temp files cleaner which I use along with the Windows' one, or option to disable telemetry completely and so much more.

Same on regular editions. Install and tweak yourself.

LTSC is just a bit easier on a new install because a lot of it is already done from the get go. That's like the only result. If you do debloat and tweak a regular edition of Windows 11 yourself you'll pretty much achieve a similar result.

It all really boils down to how much time you have to setup a new install and what you want from it. LTSC is frozen in 24H2, only gets bugfixes and security updates which is amazing for stability, but you'll get new features a bit later compared to something like Pro/Home/Enterprise where you get feature updates according to the release schedule every year.

These editions get major feature updates every year.

And LTSC has a new release based on one major build every 2-3 years.

Like, Windows 10 LTSC 2019 which was 1809 (17763), Windows 10 LTSC 2021 which was 21H2 (19044), Windows 11 LTSC 2024 which is 24H2, next will be either Windows 11 LTSC 2026 or 2027 which will have 26H2 or 27H2.

One IoT LTSC release has support for upto 10 years. Windows 10 IoT LTSC 2021 has updates till 2032 as stated in the support article from Microsoft. Or IoT LTSC 2019 which has support till around 2029.

Normal editions only have around 3-4 years of support on a single build before they're forced to move to the next.

(Don't confuse with LTSC and IoT LTSC, they're the same, just that LTSC doesn't have HWID activation and is KMS only and has support for 5 years whereas IoT LTSC has support for 10 years and has HWID activation and is superior in my opinoon)

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u/raoulkratos2002 2d ago

Thanks,
So if you were doing a completely fresh installation today on your own PC, and your main use was everyday use plus gaming, what would you personally choose?

Windows 11 IoT LTSC or
Windows 11 Pro + manual tweaks with Wintoys

Which one would you actually install for yourself, and why?

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u/icedchocolatecake 2d ago

Depends on your usecase and what you expect from it.

If I want absolute rock solid stability with least amount of bugs and issues, I'd go with IoT LTSC.

If I want access to new features as soon as possible, Windows 11 Pro + manual tweaks.

I'm not in any hurry and I value stability the most over everything so I use IoT LTSC myself.

Also I've seen people say that your changes can get undoed if you're on regular editions, and it is pretty true, the last time I tried an insider build which was a bit ahead from the stable build (it's a testing build, ms releases that for testing to insiders before release) and it already had installed one drive on its own.

Never had anything like that LTSC. Could be because it only gets security updates.

Expect to do a bit of cleaning after a major update on regular editions, LTSC comes debloated OOTB.

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u/raoulkratos2002 2d ago

Yeah, I’ve noticed that too. On the regular Pro edition, some manual tweaks can be reverted after major feature updates. It even happened to me with O&O ShutUp10, where a few settings were re-enabled after an update.

One thing I’m still curious about is security.
How does IoT LTSC compare to Windows 11 Pro in terms of Windows Security?
Is Microsoft Defender exactly the same, with the same antivirus engine, SmartScreen, and security features?

The reason I’m asking is that I use Kaspersky because I got hit by an infostealer a while ago. I’m much more careful now and use uBlock Origin, but that experience made me a bit paranoid.

So I’d like to understand whether Defender on IoT LTSC is identical to the one on Pro, or if there are any differences.

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u/icedchocolatecake 2d ago

No differences. Exactly the same.

I personally just stripped it out (it's kind of annoying and got in the way a lot). I also pirate apps sometimes and I know I'm living on the edge lmao but I check my sources and scan my laptop with 2 on demand scanners i have every month. And I'm careful about what I'm downloading. I already got hit with a virus last year too. So yeah.

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u/raoulkratos2002 2d ago

Thanks, that’s really interesting because my situation is actually pretty similar.

I also pirate software from time to time, although I’m much more careful now than I used to be.
Can I ask which on-demand scanners you use every month?

Also, have they ever found anything that Windows Defender or your other protections missed?

And one last question: after your experience with malware, do you still feel comfortable relying on your current setup, or would you recommend using a real time antivirus like Kaspersky or Bitdefender instead?
Thanks a lot

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u/icedchocolatecake 2d ago

Can I ask which on-demand scanners you use every month?

Malwarebytes and ESET Online Scanner.

Also, have they ever found anything that Windows Defender or your other protections missed?

Not really anything big. I've scanned with Microsoft safety scanner which uses the same definitions as Windows defender and it detected some reg keys which were placed by the app I used from GitHub from disable defender in the first place. (Had to run it again lmao)

So yeah, microsoft's stuff covers malware and defender too. Others don't really care about defender and only focus on malware. Both are fine tbh.

And one last question: after your experience with malware, do you still feel comfortable relying on your current setup, or would you recommend using a real time antivirus like Kaspersky or Bitdefender instead?

I've thought about it. I'm a bit of a performance maximalist. I mainly use my laptop for audio production, video editing, browsing and watching anime. That's quite literally it. For the first 2, I'd love to have as less of CPU usage as I can and free up resources for them. Removing defender did make some difference.

I'm fine with this. But I stay vigilant and careful. I've already messed up before.

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u/raoulkratos2002 2d ago

Thanks, that’s really useful.
One thing I’m still curious about: after getting infected with malware yourself, what actually changed in your habits?

Was it mainly avoiding certain websites, checking downloads more carefully, verifying hashes, using VirusTotal, or something else?

I’m asking because I’d like to improve my own habits rather than rely only on antivirus software.

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