Win10 LTSC Vs Win10 Edu 21H1

[_techie_]

Is it worth using Edu 21H1 with feature updates coming in via WSUS? We have used LTSB/C since our rollout back in 2018, so no feature updates, security and critical updates only. Operating in this method, has seen excellent stability for the past few years, so I'm loathed to move to rolling out feature updates, as reading on here, the feature updates seem to give lots of issues.

 

We seem to be moving towards becoming a Google infrastructure school utilising Google classroom, meet, drive, chat etc. I don't think Chromebooks are quite ready for teachers to use just yet, plus we still need to host legacy software whilst we assist teachers with the transition.

 

What does everyone think?

Cheers

Mark

[Simcfc73]

Your going to get polar opposite opinions about LTSC. I'm at an inpasse as I can't get Adobe cloud to run on LTSC 2019... I can get older versions but no updates (and they uninstall everything).

 

So my choices are .. the next version of LTSC... and maybe hit similar hurdles... 21H1 or jump to W11.

 

I've enjoyed running LTSC and I don't miss the store, Xbox and candy rush but I may need to.

[Guest ZFarnworth]

If I may ask, is this for a primary school infrastructure? Or secondary?

[robjduk]

I used LTSB & C for years and loved it. My plan was to sit back and ride it out for 10 years however found driver updates became a pain and buying new computers with modern graphics was causing a headache so made the jump to education. Its been pretty simple in honestly, most in part to buying PDQ so I can schedule the Windows feature updates and keep tabs on driver versions easily.

[DrCheese]

If you want to use the Office 365 client versions instead of the static 2013/2016/2019 releases, you have to run the normal builds. You want the Office 365 suite as the additions are absolutely worth it.

I stayed on the LTSC 2016 release whist everyone else iron'd out all the issues around feature updates and the process matured, then swapped over Summer 2019. I wouldn't go back now.

[MartinT]

W10 Edu 21H1 with O365 is pretty stable these days and runs smoothly on our 600 workstations.

[ThatBoringBloke]

I run LTSC on our Workstations. We now have more Chromebooks than we do workstations (300PC's, 400 Chromebooks)

We are a Google school. I am a one man band. I need the reliability and stability that LTSC offers. I control and push updates via PDQ.

[jthompson]

I've not found keeping pace with the Edu releases much of a problem at all recently. Maybe in the earlier days of Win10 there were more issues thrown up, and it was harder to actually roll out feature updates, but these days it seems to be done using a monthly CU doing the heavy lifting, followed by a simple 'enablement' patch, with perhaps the occasional new GPO setting to address any unwanted feature. A sign of Win10 reaching maturity, I think. End users basically don't feel a thing. We've also started using the Microsoft Store for a few things now, too, which is handy.

 

The pain of doing a big jump from Win7 to Win10 was enough to sell me on the idea of spreading that pain out by keeping pace with the Edu releases. It's what MS want you to do, after all.

[ITGuyNW]

Looks like 21H2 is out today too.

[k-strider]

Looks like 21H2 is out today too.

 

I dont see it in VLSC yet :-s hopfully soon...

[MartinT]

I wouldn't rush until a few other people have tried it first!

[Duke5A]

I run LTSC on our Workstations. We now have more Chromebooks than we do workstations (300PC's, 400 Chromebooks)

We are a Google school. I am a one man band. I need the reliability and stability that LTSC offers. I control and push updates via PDQ.

 

Same boat here. LTSC has been a Godsend. My teacher laptops just hum along merrily without any intervention from me whatsoever. It's been three years since I imaged most of them. Just check the WSUS server periodically and make sure they're still processing their security updates and move onto other fires. We're also a Google school, so we can get away with it. Also a one man show.

[_techie_]

Secondary… we are looking at some new desktop PCs for teaching staff unfortunately the next 5 years to ease the transition.

Also trying to get staff to appreciate the benefits of Google docs and drive…

[_techie_]

If you want to use the Office 365 client versions instead of the static 2013/2016/2019 releases, you have to run the normal builds. You want the Office 365 suite as the additions are absolutely worth it.

I stayed on the LTSC 2016 release whist everyone else iron'd out all the issues around feature updates and the process matured, then swapped over Summer 2019. I wouldn't go back now.

 

How are you dealing with shared versions of office 365 in terms of licensing. I’ve been pretty happy with the std versions and licensing via KMS.

I know you can deploy in shared mode, but how well does this work in practice if staff are moving around site, covering lessons and just going about their normal business… logging into multiple machines (this happens at our place, a lot).

[HereIGoAgain2601]

We have been running the H2 editions of Windows 10 for a number of years - I agree with earlier posters that the upgrades have got a lot easier in recent times.

Back when Windows 10 was first released it was a nightmare trying to keep the devices in a supported channel but Microsoft has put a lot of work into making this pain free.

On our 'modern' devices users are not aware the upgrades are even taking place. Admittedly some of our older devices still take a little while to upgrade but the process is fully automated and we use this to encourage users to replace their ageing devices.

 

We ditched WSUS years ago as it was a massive pain and was always crashing. We use Windows Update for Business with group policy to defer the feature updates by 12 months so we always stick on the H2 editions and this has worked really well on the whole. The Azure monitoring is also really useful and shows us the statistics on whats updated and whats not.

 

We still have an SCCM server for imaging but this is being phased out and will be replaced with InTune within the next 12 months if things go according to plan.

 

Supporting roughly 1400 Windows devices at present.

[DrCheese]

How are you dealing with shared versions of office 365 in terms of licensing. I’ve been pretty happy with the std versions and licensing via KMS.

I know you can deploy in shared mode, but how well does this work in practice if staff are moving around site, covering lessons and just going about their normal business… logging into multiple machines (this happens at our place, a lot).

 

Not a single issue at all. Have never came across any issue with the licensing, even if users have bounced around loads of machines

[_techie_]

In the office config generator, are you enabling the setting: “Allow the token to roam” or not, and where are you placing the tokens in the UNC/http path?

 

Regards

Mark

[DrCheese]

Nope, not roaming the token.

[Boredguy]

Not a single issue at all. Have never came across any issue with the licensing, even if users have bounced around loads of machines

 

Likewise never have an issue with SharedComputerLicensing set to 1 in the config file, so that the logged on user activates Office each time, even if the account is logged on to 30 computers at once.

Only time we have an issue is if Teacher B signs in to Office 365 while using Teacher A's network account as they haven't logged off.

At times it then flags up that the application is unlicensed, but signing both accounts out of Office and signing back in as Teacher A always resolves the issue (and it is a rare issue down to user not Office)

[CHiLL]

How are you dealing with shared versions of office 365 in terms of licensing. I’ve been pretty happy with the std versions and licensing via KMS.

I know you can deploy in shared mode, but how well does this work in practice if staff are moving around site, covering lessons and just going about their normal business… logging into multiple machines (this happens at our place, a lot).

It you are on a OVS-ES type agreement, you will have issues licensing Office 365 ProPlus on shared devices. OVS-ES is only available (and the only option) for schools with <1000 users. If your school has >1000 users, you will be on the EES agreement, which allows for Device Based Licensing (DBL), which will activate Office for multiple users on shared devices. Microsoft's official stance is that if you don't quality for EES, then you have to stick to using Office Professional Plus.