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Guide · Lifecycles, LTSC & Insider Enterprise & IoT Windows LTSC & Server

Windows LTSC and IoT Enterprise LTSC, explained

How Windows Enterprise LTSC, LTSB and IoT Enterprise LTSC receive updates, which monthly KB articles apply to them, and how the 5-year and 10-year lifecycles differ.

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LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel, called LTSB until 2016) is a Windows edition for special-purpose devices that do one important job. It receives monthly security and quality updates only, with no feature updates, and keeps the same features for its whole life. Microsoft says it is not meant for most PCs of an organisation.

Which versions exist

Release Same as Build Shares its monthly updates with
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB 2016 Windows 10 1607 14393 Windows Server 2016
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2019 Windows 10 1809 17763 Windows Server 2019
Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 Windows 10 21H2 19044 Windows 10 22H2 (build 19045)
Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024 Windows 11 24H2 26100 Windows 11 24H2

"Shares" is practical: one KB article covers several products. The Windows Server 2016 article, for instance, also applies to LTSB 2016, and the Windows Server 2019 article also applies to LTSC 2019. A single Windows 10 article, such as KB5122878, lists build 19045 (22H2) next to 19044 (LTSC 2021). Windows Server 2025 uses the same base build (26100) as Windows 11 24H2, but it has its own KB articles. Find yours in updates by product: Windows Server, Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Five years or ten?

The difference is the edition, not the build:

  • Enterprise LTSC 2021 and 2024 have a 5-year lifecycle.
  • IoT Enterprise LTSC has a 10-year lifecycle.
  • Both 2016 LTSB and 2019 LTSC editions had 10 years.
Release Enterprise ends IoT Enterprise ends
LTSB 2016 October 13, 2026 (ended) October 13, 2026 (ended)
LTSC 2019 January 9, 2029 January 9, 2029
LTSC 2021 January 12, 2027 January 13, 2032
LTSC 2024 October 9, 2029 October 10, 2034

Two dates are close. LTSB 2016 reached the end of updates on October 13, 2026, and Windows Server 2016 follows on January 12, 2027. Enterprise LTSC 2021 ends on January 12, 2027; Microsoft points to Extended Security Updates for it (see Windows 10 ESU and the calendar).

For IT admins: what am I running?

PowerShell
> (Get-ComputerInfo).OsName, (Get-ComputerInfo).OsBuildNumber

The build number tells you which KB articles apply: 14393, 17763, 19044 or 26100. OsName shows the edition name. See also how to check your Windows version.

Sources

Edited by the site editor. Written with AI from Microsoft's own documents, checked by rules and a second AI. How we work · Report a mistake