How to Download & Install Windows 11 LTSC ISO
Some advanced users, IT staff, and enterprise users may have a need to download, install, and use Windows 11 LTSC, whether that’s for installing into a virtual machine environment running on a Mac or PC, a dual boot situation with an Intel Mac using Boot Camp, or even installing directly onto a PC, medical device, point-of-sale, kiosk, or similar hardware.
Windows LTSC (Long-Term Servicing Channel) versions are unique in that they’re designed for situations where stability and reliability are paramount, long-term support is critical, and changes or features updates are more limited. This is often the case for enterprise deployments, governments, mission-critical situations and applications, medical systems and networks, industrial machinery and environments, for fixed-purpose things ranging from ATM machines to Point-of-Sale terminals, automation systems, medical devices, thin clients, digital signage, kiosks, self-checkout stands, and to accompany other specialized equipment where long-term consistency and stability and more important rather than having the latest shiny features or changes, like Microsoft’s bizarre new feature which displays advertisements in the Windows Start menu.
As you may have guessed by now Windows 11 LTSC is unique and separate from Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro, and thus must be downloaded separately as well, and has different licensing requirements. Generally speaking, Windows LTSC licensing is available through volume licensing and enterprise deals, so keep that in mind if you’re seeking Windows for personal use.
Windows LTSC also is more minimalist with a lighter footprint, without much of the clutter and bloatware that comes preinstalled in a standard Windows installation.
How to Download & Install Windows 11 LTSC ISO
It’s easy and free to download a Windows 11 LTSC ISO image directly from Microsoft, but remember that licensing and commercial use must be addressed, particularly after the 90-day evaluation period is over. Here’s how you can download Windows 11 LTSC ISO and install it into various environments:
- Head to the Windows 11 IOT Enterprise page here
- Choose to download the X86 (Intel) or ARM64 (Apple Silicon, ARM processors) version depending on your target environment, if you’re installing Windows LTSC into a virtual machine on a Mac you may find the following articles helpful, since it’s basically like installing any other version of Windows 11:
- Learn about installing Windows 11 into VMWare on a Mac (VMWare Fusion is free for personal use)
- Learn about installing Windows 11 on an Apple Silicon Mac with UTM (UTM is free)
- When the ISO has downloaded, use it to install Windows 11 LTSC as any other installation of Windows, either onto a PC or other hardware, into a VM, or Boot Camp as usual
- If you’re accustomed to installing Windows 11 Home or Windows 11 Pro, you will notice the Windows 11 LTSC install process is more streamlined and minimalist, and that, uniquely, you must perform a clean installation of Windows 11 LTSC because it can not be used for upgrading from prior Windows versions
You’ll find installation is pretty simple, perhaps even easier than installing ‘regular’ Windows, and there’s less clutter to come along for the ride.
If you’re the head of an IT department or similar, and you haven’t figured out a licensing situation for Windows LTSC yet, Microsoft helpfully provides a list of vendors and Windows IoT LTSC distributors here that you can work with for your particular needs.
Microsoft describes the purpose of Windows 11 LTSC, or more specifically “Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC”, as follows:
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC is intended for fixed-function, special-purpose devices that require a long support lifecycle of 10 years. These devices are typically found in industries including banking, quick-service restaurants, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, and retail.
Windows IoT Enterprise LTSC is based on the same foundation as Windows Professional and Windows Enterprise, delivering the same compatibility, security and management capabilities required for commercial deployments. Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC provides additional capabilities to lockdown the device experience for public facing or employee facing scenarios along with the ability to customize the operating system footprint.
Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC is available for both x64 and ARM64 architecture.
If you’d like more information about Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC, don’t miss this helpful resource page on microsoft.com.
The Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC version is obviously fairly niche and not necessarily relevant to all users, particularly Mac users who are looking to run Windows software of varying kinds, but if you’re in IT or systems administration for an enterprise, commercial, medical, military, or educational environment, you may have a need for this, even if you’re just exploring the OS and tinkering with it inside of a virtual machine on a Mac.
