Can you upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10/11 LTSB?
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Microsoft ceased support on all of its Windows 7 versions, and because of this, many users have now migrated to Windows 10.
However, that isn’t the case with large companies. Upgrades within a company are difficult to roll-out, especially when talking about enterprises with a large computer infrastructure.
Delivering updates alone can be quite a task at a company-wide level. That is why Microsoft created Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB (LTSC).
What is Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB?
Officially, LTSB (Long-term Servicing Branch) is a specialized edition of Windows 10 Enterprise that promises the longest intervals between feature upgrades of any version of the operating system.
It does deliver the same security upgrades that regular users receive monthly. However, when it comes to big feature updates, these only come once every 2 or 3 years.
Because this means less disruption with rolling out updates within companies, businesses big and small should adopt Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB as their main supported OS.
How do I upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB?
Unfortunately enough, Microsoft states on their official forums that:
[…] In-place upgrade from Windows 7, Windows 8.1, or Windows 10 semi-annual channel to Windows 10 LTSC is not supported. This was corrected in the Windows 10 LTSC 2016 release, which will now only allow data-only and clean install options.
Thus, in-place upgrades from Windows 7 or 8 to Windows 10 LTSB/LTSC are not possible. All you can do is backup all of your files, and perform a clean install of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB.
As for upgrading Windows 10 LTSB itself, you can only upgrade from Enterprise LTSB 2016 to Enterprise LTSC 2019 and keep your programs and files.
The old data will not be completely deleted. Instead, it will be saved in a Windows.old folder which you can use later.
How do I get Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB?
Currently, Windows 10 LTSB is only available in the Enterprise Edition for large companies and organizations that have a KMS (Key Management Server). This makes this particular edition of Windows 10 not available to the general public
You can download a 90-day trial, but you would not be able to activate that version as a private user.
Do you think that Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB should be available to the general public as well? Let us know your opinions in the comment section below.
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