1

We have windows 10 laptops suddenly getting updates to upgrade to windows 11.

how do i prevent that from happening as the clients have software that is not compatible with windows 11.
we do have WSUS server to manage updates

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2

Block it in WSUS and make sure you have dual-scan disabled.

FYI W10 EOL is edging ever closer, perhaps you can limit the machines that need the software so that at least most of your estate remains compliant.

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3

Are you able to share what that software is? Im curious

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4

…and have you tested that software in compatibility mode? Because if it works in Windows 10 (unless it’s 32-bit Win10??) it should work on Win11…

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We are at the point in the windows 10 lifespan that if software is incompatible with win11 its time to get rid of the software. if you don’t have your machines updated by October you OS will be considered EOL and you may be slammed with LTS fees

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…but if the software works with Win10, there’s little reason to expect it won’t in 11 as it’s compatible enough at its core, to be almost the same OS with a different wrapper on it…yes I know, that’s over-simplifying, but not by much…

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I agree. but without knowing what software is being used we cant determine if it should be compatible or not. could be an old piece of software that has been completely unsupported and cannot be redownloaded but for some reason works on this old machine.

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8

True, hopefully OP gets back to us with more info soon.

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9

Just a shot in the dark, have you tried running the programs in Compatibility Mode?

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I googled “LTS fees” and am none the wiser. :frowning: What are they?

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The Long-Term Service branch is all that’ll be left for security updates on Windows 10. It’s a paid program that will allow companies to pay monthly to access security updates for a longer timeframe, so if you’re not off 10 by the time it’s fully EOL, you have a last ditch road to keep things alive…

12

Depends…

There are userland programs out there that access hardware through wedge drivers in win 10.
Those will absolutly not work in win11, because MS has forbidden the wedge drivers.
Mostly that is an issue for games with anti-cheat nastiness in them, but also some silly things, like the blinking colored lights on cpu fans…yes, that is hardware, no users aren’t supposed to be able to just talk to the hardware Pfffft

Interface drivers for things like Machine controllers are also problematic for the same reason..

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Good info! I guess we’ll just have to continue waiting for OP to come back and give us more details then?

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This either came up with @Josh-J-Spiceworks or @Jeff-Grettler-Spiceworks recently (I forget which), because I was unfamiliar with LTSB (long-term servicing branch) which I believe is a previous version of LTSC (long-term servicing channel).

So my understanding is that it is essentially a bare bone, streamlined version of Windows designed for businesses and organizations that need stability and minimal changes over time.

It strips out most of the consumer features like Cortana, Microsoft Store, Edge browser, Xbox apps, and other built-in programs. It focuses purely on core Windows functionality.

Instead of getting the usual feature updates that regular Windows receives, LTSC versions are released every few years and are supported for roughly a decade. You only get security updates and critical bug fixes - no new features.

I think that’s right… mostly.

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15

Long-term support.

The poster likely put the wrong lettering though as windows 10 uses ESUs. Linux often uses LTS.

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I didn’t realize he was speaking of LTSB (Now LTSC). I thought that was a different license altogether, for specific devices, that happens to have a different EOL date. (It appears to be in 2027 for “LTSC 2021” and in 2029 for “LTSC 2019”) I don’t think that’s something that can just be “applied” to existing Windows Pro installations. Can it???

The program that I’m familiar with that will allow continued security updates for regular Windows is “ESU”. That’s what I’m planning on using for our machines that aren’t replaced by October.

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It would be the ESU as mentioned by @Rod-IT a post above

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Maybe I just got confused by the above.

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Probably, as I was also using the wrong acronym, apparently.

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It cannot.

While those that talked of LTSB and LTSC are correct, those versions do exist, they need to be installed from the get-go, you can’t upgrade to, or from them.

LTS however is the Linux equivalent of ESU, I expect this is just a misunderstanding of wording.

At the end of October, Windows 10, if not already running LTSB or LTSC will require ‘ESU’ subscriptions.

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