Windows 10 LTSB 2017

[win]

On the verge of cancelling my plans for W10 education 1703 and upgrading to LTSB instead due to the hassle of removing bloat. However, couldn't see the 1703 edition of LTSB, has it been released or am i looking in the wrong place?

[FN-GM]

There isn't going to be one. They released 2015 planned one for 2016 the. Every 3 years so the next is 2019

[win]

NVM, it appears to be unavailable:

 

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/release-info.aspx

 

Current version of LTSB is last years 2016 version

[win]

Just posted above at the same time! Thanks for info FN-GM

[SHimmer45]

you can remove the bloat from the install.wim for the education versions so it is not present at the time of install so it doesn't get pre-provisioned

[Fazza]

There wont be very frequent updates of the LTSB versions as that was one of the ideas behind it.

 

What bloat are you trying to remove? If you mean default windows apps you don't want to have in your build then you can use the following powershell script to remove the ones you want to remove:

 

# Get a list of all apps
$AppArrayList = Get-AppxPackage -PackageTypeFilter Bundle | Select-Object -Property Name, PackageFullName | Sort-Object -Property Name

# Loop through the list of apps
foreach ($App in $AppArrayList) {
   # Exclude essential Windows apps
   if (($App.Name -in "Microsoft.WindowsCalculator","Microsoft.WindowsStore","Microsoft.Appconnector","Microsoft.WindowsCommunicationsApps","Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder")) {
       Write-Output -InputObject "Skipping essential Windows app: $($App.Name)"
   }
   # Remove AppxPackage and AppxProvisioningPackage
   else {
       # Gather package names
       $AppPackageFullName = Get-AppxPackage -Name $App.Name | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PackageFullName
       $AppProvisioningPackageName = Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like $App.Name } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PackageName
       # Attempt to remove AppxPackage
       try {
           Write-Output -InputObject "Removing AppxPackage: $AppPackageFullName"
           Remove-AppxPackage -Package $AppPackageFullName -ErrorAction Stop
       }
       catch [system.Exception] {
           Write-Warning -Message $_.Exception.Message
       }
       # Attempt to remove AppxProvisioningPackage
       try {
           Write-Output -InputObject "Removing AppxProvisioningPackage: $AppProvisioningPackageName"
           Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -PackageName $AppProvisioningPackageName -Online -ErrorAction Stop
       }
       catch [system.Exception] {
           Write-Warning -Message $_.Exception.Message
       }
   }
}

 

Add or remove the relavent apps in the # Exclude essential Windows apps sections and bobs your uncle! We run this as part of an SCCM task sequence when we deploy a new Golden Image and it works a treat

[KF1974]

Is the LTSB 2016 version going to upgrade itself to the 2019 version for free?

 

Regards,

Frankie

Edited July 19, 2017 by KF1974

[Arthur]

Is the LTSB 2016 version going to upgrade itself to the 2019 version for free?

No. LTSB won't auto upgrade to the next major version since the installation media has to be downloaded from Microsoft VLSC (for which you need an active volume licensing agreement) and it will require a new product key adding to your KMS server for activation.

 

LTSB is meant for special-purpose devices like ATMs and kiosks which you wouldn't want auto upgrading.

 

https://blogs.technet.microsoft.com/windowsitpro/2016/08/02/whats-new-for-it-pros-in-the-windows-10-anniversary-update/#div-comment-6996

 

No, new versions of Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB are not published to Windows Update or WSUS, so you have to use media

 

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/deployment/update/waas-overview#long-term-servicing-branch

 

Specialized systems—such as PCs that control medical equipment, point-of-sale systems, and ATMs—often require a longer servicing option because of their purpose. These devices typically perform a single important task and don’t need feature updates as frequently as other devices in the organization. It’s more important that these devices be kept as stable and secure as possible than up to date with user interface changes. The LTSB servicing model prevents Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB devices from receiving the usual feature updates and provides only quality updates to ensure that device security stays up to date.

[Fazza]

LTSB is meant for special-purpose devices like ATMs and kiosks which you wouldn't want auto upgrading.

 

I think that's the best way of describing the real purpose of LTSB is for that I've heard so far

[Roberto]

There's quite a lot of discussion of this on Reddit's /r/sysadmin and /r/sccm among others.

 

The general consensus is that the LTSB version of windows is a poor choice for a general desktop or mobile deployment for a number of reasons:

Only security bugs will be fixed. Having trouble with terminal services client or some weird issue with the shell after you've rolled out LTSB? I hope it's a security issue because if it isn't, your users will be looking at it for a long time.[/List]

Apps like Calculator and photo viewer are being moved to universal apps. Regardless of your opinion (I'm not really a fan), that means these apps won't be in your LTSB deployments. You're either hacking around trying to make copied over old versions of things work (and remember, good luck if a security fix breaks your hack to get calculator working because only security holes get fixed in LTSB) or your users are going to be asking you why they can't open calculator.

Third party applications might make assumptions about Windows that are true in the main service branches but aren't true in LTSB; e.g. updated shared libraries.
IIRC, MDM isn't supported on LTSB, so there might be implications for control of laptops/windows tablets outside the building.

 

In fairness, it has taken a fair bit of effort for us to produce a Windows 10 Enterprise build that we're happy with, to roll out this summer. We've made heavy use of tools like the poweshell script Fazza mentioned earlier, but even there we started from a presumption of "Universal apps all suck, delete the lot" and ended up putting a few back on.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Roberto

[win]

There wont be very frequent updates of the LTSB versions as that was one of the ideas behind it.

 

What bloat are you trying to remove? If you mean default windows apps you don't want to have in your build then you can use the following powershell script to remove the ones you want to remove:

 

# Get a list of all apps
$AppArrayList = Get-AppxPackage -PackageTypeFilter Bundle | Select-Object -Property Name, PackageFullName | Sort-Object -Property Name

# Loop through the list of apps
foreach ($App in $AppArrayList) {
   # Exclude essential Windows apps
   if (($App.Name -in "Microsoft.WindowsCalculator","Microsoft.WindowsStore","Microsoft.Appconnector","Microsoft.WindowsCommunicationsApps","Microsoft.WindowsSoundRecorder")) {
       Write-Output -InputObject "Skipping essential Windows app: $($App.Name)"
   }
   # Remove AppxPackage and AppxProvisioningPackage
   else {
       # Gather package names
       $AppPackageFullName = Get-AppxPackage -Name $App.Name | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PackageFullName
       $AppProvisioningPackageName = Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online | Where-Object { $_.DisplayName -like $App.Name } | Select-Object -ExpandProperty PackageName
       # Attempt to remove AppxPackage
       try {
           Write-Output -InputObject "Removing AppxPackage: $AppPackageFullName"
           Remove-AppxPackage -Package $AppPackageFullName -ErrorAction Stop
       }
       catch [system.Exception] {
           Write-Warning -Message $_.Exception.Message
       }
       # Attempt to remove AppxProvisioningPackage
       try {
           Write-Output -InputObject "Removing AppxProvisioningPackage: $AppProvisioningPackageName"
           Remove-AppxProvisionedPackage -PackageName $AppProvisioningPackageName -Online -ErrorAction Stop
       }
       catch [system.Exception] {
           Write-Warning -Message $_.Exception.Message
       }
   }
}

 

Add or remove the relavent apps in the # Exclude essential Windows apps sections and bobs your uncle! We run this as part of an SCCM task sequence when we deploy a new Golden Image and it works a treat

 

How do you remove cortana? i tried in GP going to these settings and disabling but it is still there in the start menu and it functions. Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Windows Components > Search.

 

Also tried removing in MDT script using:

 

$AppsList = "Microsoft.Windows.Cortana"

 

ForEach ($App in $AppsList)

{

$PackageFullName = (Get-AppxPackage $App).PackageFullName

$ProPackageFullName = (Get-AppxProvisionedPackage -online | where {$_.Displayname -eq $App}).PackageName

 

If ($PackageFullName)

{

Write-Verbose "Removing Package: $App"

remove-AppxPackage -package $PackageFullName

}

etc.etc..

 

Nothing seems to work

[Fazza]

How do you remove cortana?

 

We don't. There's a Windows 10 Group Policy for disabling/removing it (if I remember correctly from the other week when we downloaded the updated admx files) as we couldn't think of a reason to disable it so left it enabled.

[Fazza]

Sorry for the double-post but I've just created a new Group Policy with the following settings in it:

 

 

A quick GPUPDATE/FORCE and 1 reboot later and Cortana has disappeared from the taskbar and cannot be found on the start menu either so I can confirm that the group policies do work.

 

 

What server OS are you DC's? What is your domain functional level? Are you using the latest (1703) Windows 10 Group Policy files (admx files etc.)

[win]

Same as what i done:

 

 

All my DCs are 2012r2 but the functional level is 2008r2. Was going to raise it after removing Windows 7 and all my other 2008r2 servers.

 

I've got the latest 1703 admx files installed, perhaps my functional level is too low?

[Fazza]

You need to be on Server 2016 with the domain functional level at 2016 else the Group Policies wont work - at least this is my experience/understanding. We upgraded our DCs to 2016, upped the functional level to the same and then the Group Policies work.

[Koldov]

You need to be on Server 2016 with the domain functional level at 2016 else the Group Policies wont work - at least this is my experience/understanding. We upgraded our DCs to 2016, upped the functional level to the same and then the Group Policies work.

 

EEEEEK!

 

Can this be verified by anyone?

 

Group policies for Windows 10 don't work unless your servers are 2016?!

 

Or am I misreading that statement?

[win]

Thought i'd take a chance and upgrade FL to 2012 R2 but still the same. Upgrading the DCs to 2016 is going to be a real pain! I checked the local registry and it appears to be rolling out ok, perhaps Cortana is disabled and replaced with this black search box. Is there another setting to remove this?

 

It's what appears after clicking on Cortana in start menu

 

 

[DJ-1701]

EEEEEK!

 

Can this be verified by anyone?

 

Group policies for Windows 10 don't work unless your servers are 2016?!

 

Or am I misreading that statement?

 

It's always been my experence that as long as you have the ADMX templates you need for the required OS version, and are running the GPMC tool on that same OS version to edit the policy, it should apply without issue on the applicable OSes.

[alfatec]

We run 800 workstations running Windows 10 and only use Windows server 2012 but have downloaded the latest April Windows 10 1703 ADMX files and everything works fine, even disabling Cortana, so I don't think it is correct that

you need Server 2016 DC's to implement your group policies for Windows 10.

[Fazza]

Group policies for Windows 10 don't work unless your servers are 2016?!

 

Not all your servers, but I'd strongly advise you to upgrade all your DCs to 2016 as the latest Server 2016 and Windows 10 1703 are part of the same 'family' of operating systems which is why you also need to get the 1703 version of the Group Policy files and install them on each server or place them in you centralised group policy storage folder.

 

 

In our experience some Group Policy settings simply don't work or partially work. This is what we did to resolve that issue. Whether both things made them work or just one I don't know as we did them both at the same time. All I can say is if you upgrade your DCs to Server 2016 and the domain functional level to the same it works. It took around 40 minutes to upgrade each DC and then a few seconds to upgrade the functional level.

 

So far, a lot of the 'issues' reported on EduGeek by people who have not done this have worked OK for us.

[Arthur]

perhaps Cortana is disabled and replaced with this black search box.

That's exactly what happens when you disable Cortana.

[win]

That's exactly what happens when you disable Cortana.

 

LOL, thanks - just wasted an entire morning! but how do we remove this black search box?

Edited July 19, 2017 by win

[Fazza]

LOL, thanks - just wasted an entire morning! but how do we remove this black search box?

 

Can you post a screenshot of what you mean as when I disabled Cortana via GPO it went completely?

[DJ-1701]

Can you post a screenshot of what you mean as when I disabled Cortana via GPO it went completely?

 

What win sees after removing Cortana can be seen here http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-10/186666-windows-10-ltsb-2017-a-2.html#post1599301

[Fazza]

Unless I'm going mad, the black box you are referring to is the Start Menu. It's black as there are no search results being shown as they only get listed once you search for something.