Quick answer: LTSC stands for Long-Term Servicing Channel. It is an edition of Windows Enterprise (and IoT Enterprise) that receives security updates for five or ten years but no feature updates, ships without the Microsoft Store, Edge, Copilot, Widgets and most preinstalled apps, and stays exactly as installed. Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 is supported until 13 January 2032 and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 until 10 October 2034. It is licensed separately from Home and Pro; GetDigiMarket sells Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 keys.
“LTSC” appears in forum threads, on second-hand PCs and in our best-seller list, and it is one of the least understood editions of Windows. This guide explains what the Long-Term Servicing Channel is, how it differs from the Windows 10 and 11 that come on a new laptop, what “IoT Enterprise” means, the support dates, the licensing, the practical upsides and downsides, and who it is for.
What LTSC means
Microsoft delivers Windows through servicing channels. The General Availability Channel is the normal one: Home, Pro, Education and Enterprise receive a feature update every year and security updates monthly, and each feature update is supported for 24 or 36 months, so a PC must keep moving to the next release to stay patched.
The Long-Term Servicing Channel is different. An LTSC release is a snapshot of Windows at a point in time that is then supported, with security updates only, for five years (Enterprise LTSC) or ten years (IoT Enterprise LTSC). It never receives feature updates. The Windows you install on day one is the Windows you have on the last day of support, apart from patches. Microsoft designed it for medical devices, industrial controllers, kiosks, ATMs and similar systems where change is unwelcome, which is why it strips out the consumer components.
The name has changed over the years: Windows 10 Enterprise 2015 LTSB and 2016 LTSB (Long-Term Servicing Branch), then Enterprise LTSC 2019, Enterprise LTSC 2021 and the IoT variants, then Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 and IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024.
What is missing from LTSC, and what is not
Not included: Microsoft Store, Edge (on Windows 10 LTSC; Windows 11 LTSC 2024 includes Edge), Copilot, Widgets, Cortana, Xbox apps, Mail and Calendar, Photos, Weather, News, OneDrive preinstalled (installable), the Microsoft 365 trial, and the yearly feature updates.
Included: the full Windows desktop, Settings, File Explorer, Windows Defender, BitLocker, Remote Desktop host, Hyper-V, Group Policy, Windows Sandbox (on 2021 and 2024), PowerShell, Windows Subsystem for Linux (installable), DirectX and gaming support, and every Win32 application. Office, Chrome, Steam, Adobe apps and the rest install and run normally. Store apps can be side-loaded, and the Store itself can be added with an official script, though Microsoft does not support that configuration.
Windows 10 LTSC 2021 vs Windows 11 LTSC 2024
| Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 | Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 | Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 | Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Based on | Windows 10 21H2 | Windows 10 21H2 | Windows 11 24H2 | Windows 11 24H2 |
| Support ends | 12 January 2027 | 13 January 2032 | 9 October 2029 | 10 October 2034 |
| TPM 2.0 / Secure Boot required | No | No | Yes | Not enforced on IoT |
| Supported CPU list enforced | No | No | Yes | No |
| Edge included | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| Typical use | Managed desktops | Older PCs, long-life devices | Managed desktops | Kiosks, long-life PCs, unsupported hardware |
Two points stand out. First, the IoT variants have the ten-year support window; the plain Enterprise LTSC has five. Second, Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 does not enforce the CPU, TPM or Secure Boot checks, which is why it has become the preferred way to run a supported Windows 11 on hardware that fails the Windows 11 Home and Pro requirements.
“IoT Enterprise”: what it means for an ordinary PC
IoT Enterprise is Windows Enterprise licensed for devices with a fixed purpose. The binaries are the same as Enterprise LTSC; the licence terms and the support window differ. On a desktop or laptop it installs, activates and behaves exactly like Enterprise LTSC. Microsoft’s licence for IoT Enterprise is intended for dedicated-use devices, and the keys are sold through the embedded and OEM channels, which is how resellers are able to offer them individually. For a home user, the practical effect is a Windows that runs everything, changes nothing, and is patched until 2032 or 2034.
Pros and cons
Advantages. No feature updates, so nothing moves or breaks mid-year. No Store, Copilot, Widgets or advertising. Lower background activity and memory use. Ten years of security updates on the IoT editions. Runs on hardware that Windows 11 Home and Pro refuse. Full Enterprise feature set including BitLocker, Hyper-V and Group Policy.
Disadvantages. No new features ever; Windows 11 LTSC 2024 will never gain the improvements of 25H2 and later. No Store without a workaround, so apps distributed only through the Store need side-loading. Some newer hardware drivers and some software (notably a few games with anti-cheat, and some Microsoft 365 features) target the General Availability Channel and may lag or decline support on LTSC. Office LTSC or perpetual Office is the natural pairing; Microsoft 365 Apps are supported on LTSC but with caveats. Clean installation from the LTSC media is required; you cannot switch a Home or Pro installation to LTSC with a key.
Licensing and keys
LTSC is licensed per device. The keys we sell activate a clean installation from the LTSC media, which Microsoft provides through the Evaluation Center and the download link in our delivery email. Activation is the same slmgr /ipk and slmgr /ato process as any Windows; our Windows activation guide covers it, and if slmgr /dlv shows a VOLUME_KMSCLIENT channel and activation fails with 0xC004F074, entering the key with /ipk corrects the channel.
Products: Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (support to 2032), Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 (to 2027), Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 (to January 2029), Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 (to 2029) and Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 (to 2034).
Who should use LTSC
- A PC that fails the Windows 11 hardware check but must stay patched: Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024, or Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 if you prefer the Windows 10 desktop.
- Workshop, lab, point-of-sale, signage and kiosk machines.
- Users who want Windows without the Store, Copilot and consumer apps, and are comfortable installing from an ISO.
- Businesses that want a fixed desktop image for several years.
Who should not
- Anyone who wants new Windows features as they arrive.
- Users who depend on Store-only apps and do not want to side-load.
- Gamers who play titles whose anti-cheat requires the General Availability Channel (check the game’s requirements).
- Anyone who expects to upgrade an existing Home or Pro installation with a key; LTSC needs a clean installation.
How to install
Download the LTSC ISO from the link in your delivery email, write it to USB with Rufus (see the bootable USB guide), boot, install (the media contains the single LTSC edition, so there is no edition prompt), then activate with the key. Install Windows Update, drivers, and your applications. For Office, pair it with Office 2024 Standard LTSC for the same no-feature-update behaviour, or Office 2024 Professional Plus for the full suite.
LTSC and Windows 10 end of support
Windows 10 Home and Pro stopped receiving security updates on 14 October 2025, and the one-year consumer Extended Security Update programme ended on 13 October 2026. Windows 10 LTSC editions are unaffected: they run on their own support clocks, with IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 patched until January 2032. This is the reason LTSC moved from a niche edition to one of our best sellers in 2025 and 2026. For a PC that cannot run Windows 11 and must stay online safely, it is now the only supported Windows 10 option, and for a PC that can run Windows 11 but whose owner wants a stable, uncluttered desktop, Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 does the same job with a 2034 horizon.
LTSC versus Pro: a quick decision table
| You want | Choose |
|---|---|
| New features every year, the Store, Copilot | Windows 11 Pro |
| A stable desktop that never changes, patched for years | Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 |
| Windows 11 on a PC without TPM 2.0 or a supported CPU | Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 |
| To keep the Windows 10 desktop until 2032 | Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 |
| An in-place upgrade from Home with a key | Windows 11 Pro (LTSC needs a clean install) |
| A kiosk, signage or industrial PC | Any IoT Enterprise LTSC |
Common LTSC questions from our customers
Will Office work? Yes. Office 2016 through 2024 and Microsoft 365 Apps install on LTSC. Microsoft 365 Apps on Windows 10 LTSC are supported until October 2028 (10 LTSC 2021) with some feature exceptions; perpetual Office has no such caveat.
Will games work? Almost all do, since DirectX 12 and the gaming stack are present. Games distributed only through the Microsoft Store need the Store added; a few anti-cheat systems check the servicing channel.
Will drivers work? Yes. LTSC uses the same driver model as the base release. Very new hardware released after the LTSC snapshot may need the manufacturer’s driver package rather than Windows Update’s.
Can I move back to Pro later? Only by a clean installation of Pro. The licences are separate; keep your Pro key if you have one.
Ready to choose a key? Our Windows LTSC key buying guide compares every LTSC edition we sell with prices, support dates and installation steps.
Frequently asked questions
What does LTSC stand for?
Long-Term Servicing Channel. It is the Windows servicing channel that receives security updates for five or ten years without feature updates.
Is Windows LTSC the same as Windows 10 or 11?
It is built from the same Windows release (10 21H2 or 11 24H2) with the consumer components removed and no feature updates afterwards. Applications and drivers work the same way.
Can I install LTSC over my existing Windows 11 Pro?
No. LTSC requires a clean installation from the LTSC media. A Pro installation cannot be switched to LTSC with a key.
Does Windows 11 LTSC require TPM 2.0?
Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 enforces the Windows 11 hardware requirements. Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 does not, which makes it the usual choice for older hardware.
How long is Windows 10 LTSC supported?
Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 until 13 January 2032; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 until 12 January 2027; Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 until 9 January 2029.
Can I add the Microsoft Store to LTSC?
It can be added with Microsoft’s own script from the LTSC media’s tools, and Store apps can be side-loaded, but Microsoft does not support the Store on LTSC. Most LTSC users install desktop applications instead.