Windows 10: Buying instead of the Free Upgrade of Win10

One feature I miss sometimes is remote Desktop. With Home you can remote desktop in but not out. My only PC running Windows 10 at the moment is my Media Center PC hooked up to the TV in my living room. Instead of commandeering the TV when I want to check something out I just remote desktop into it from this PC. I can then shut it down remotely and log off when I'm done. If I had Home on this PC I couldn't do that. I also remote desktop into my Raspberry Pi from my laptop sometimes. The Pi only has a 5 inch screen connected so when I'm in a Terminal Window doing stuff I do it from my laptops bigger screen. If I had Home on my laptop that wouldn't be doable. Group Policy Editor is another feature I use from time to time.

 

I'm still on the fence about the free Win 10 Home upgrade. One reason is the WU update management option not included in the Home version. I hope that changes but if not, I might wait and purchase Win 10 Pro sometime down the road.

Since I have OEM install PC's, I can't transfer to a new future PC with the free Win 10 upgrade path. My Desktop and Laptop PC's are Win 10 compatible according to what I've read online about Win 10 System requirements.

I'm ok with Win 7x64, had it since 2010 and it's the best Windows version (for me) that I've used on my PC's. With 5 more years of Win 7 extended support available, I'll watch how the Win 10 rollout progresses over the next few months and make a decision, probably next May-June, about the purchasing Win 10 Pro or upgrading to the free Home version.

 

I think Bitlocker is a good thing for laptop users, especially those who carry them out and about, as it lets you encrypt your files and give protection if was lost or stolen. Windows 8.1 introduced device encryption for the Core version, but only if you have the right hardware (eg. your OS on a non-spinning disk).

If I was a student carrying a laptop to lectures, drive encryption would be valuable to me, and I probably wouldn't be able to afford a Pro Pack (if that's available for Windows 10).

I also sometimes use the group policy editor and suspect I might value the ability to have more control over updates - but 29 July may make things clearer on that front.

 

Having Pro still might not be enough to have control over updates. You may also need access to "Windows Update for Business" to actually have control over what updates are installed automatically. Your updates may have to be done over a corporate network and it may be the IT guy that decides what ones get pushed to PC's. I remember reading something along these lines but can't find that info at the moment. I can't say that it's fact, as I can't find the source at the moment. All I can say is do some searching and reading before you buy Pro just to get that feature.

 

Thanks for the info *Smile. I'm a home user so I'm guessing that the corporate network aspect wouldn't apply to me but I don't know much about that part of this topic.

I'll definitely research this before I decide next year.

 

The key thing is that, the consumer version of Pro may get forced updates just like the Home version. What I saw was open to interpretation so I could be wrong. Wouldn't be the first time either. Just a heads up, to double check all the ins and outs before you decide to pay more for the Pro version.

 

@alphanumeric, was it Wikipedia?

[93]
Update and support system[edit]

Windows 10 will be serviced in a significantly different manner from previous releases of Windows.[94] While Microsoft began to distribute a larger number of updates for Windows 8 that added features (such as interface improvements) beyond security patches and bug fixes, Windows 10 will adopt a tiered approach: users receive critical updates, security patches and non-critical updates to the operating system and its functionality as they are released. On Windows 10 Enterprise,[70] administrators can choose between "Current Branch for Business" (CBB) and long-term support release channels. CBB will receive all updates at the same pace as consumers, but allow administrators to delay non-critical updates to ensure they are suitable for their environment. LTSB versions of Windows 10 are periodic snapshots of Windows 10's CBB branch, and will only receive critical patches over their 10-year support lifecycle. Systems can also be placed one or two versions behind the most recent LTSB version to allow for structured deployments and internal lifecycles.[81][95][96] Stella Chernyak explained that "we have businesses [that] may have mission-critical environments where we respect the fact they want to test and stabilize the environment for a long time".[97]
Windows 10 Home is permanently set to download and install updates automatically. Only Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 10 may defer updates.[64]
Update branch Current Branch
(CB) Current Branch for Business
(CBB) Long-term Servicing Branches
(LTSB) Editions Windows 10 Education Windows 10 Enterprise Windows 10 Home Windows 10 Pro Critical updates
Security patches and stability updates Yes Deferrable for a period of time Deferrable indefinitely Non-critical updates
Functionality and feature upgrades Yes Deferrable for a period of time Deferrable indefinitely Preview releases
Beta releases through the Windows Insider Program
Choice of fast or slow update ring Optional Optional or if permitted No Update methods Windows Update Windows Update
Windows Update for Business
Windows Server Update Services Windows Update for Business
Windows Server Update Services Upgrade support Continuous updating The three most recent LTSB versions
(periodic snapshots of CBB will be released as LTSB versions) Update support Lifetime The three most recent LTSB versions Five years mainstream + Five years extended
(from release date of the LTSB version)

 

It wasn't that, something like that though. Still confusing, for me anyway.

Windows 10 Home is permanently set to download and install updates automatically. Only Pro and Enterprise editions of Windows 10 may defer updates.

IMHO, my take on it is. If your using Windows Home or Pro and update over the Internet through Windows Update, you won't get a choice. If your running Pro or Enterprise and connected to Windows Update for Business, you'll have options. Like I said though, I could be wrong and misunderstood what's there. You'll just have to decide for your self.

 

alphanumeric & Cliff S



for the WU info.

If it turns out that Win 10 Pro home users have forced WU's, I guess we'll have to live with it.

I've preferred local control over them but that's mainly due to the past year or so of reported problematic Win 7 update incidents.

 

The thing is a home user doesn't usually have to prepare a whole bunch of PCs to update at once, and for businesses and companies have to update at a certain time when the least PCs are in use, so deference is important, because of down time. Deferral indefinitely are for important infrastructure that can't be allowed to shut down for any amount of time. Personally, as a private user, I have always installed every update(only with drivers I prefer manufactures to Microsoft) and never had a problem, ever.

 

I've actually had very few issues with WU's with Win 7 for partly the same reason as you mentioned about Driver updates and also reading some of the forum 'net sites when "patch Tuesdays" occur. If I read some things about possible WU issues, I'll look into the specific MS WU info and decide on hiding it or delaying the install and watch for online feedback about it.

I usually install patch Tuesday WU's on the following weekend, preceding the install's with one of my Cloning (or Imaging) processes so that I can roll back the PC fast in the event of encountering problematic WU's.

That also allows me to check around the 'net after the patch Tuesday to see if there have been widespread reports of WU issues encountered with other users.

I have noticed an increase in reported and posted issues with WU's since around last June-August. Perhaps that's a coincidence though but it raised my awareness about checking WU's before installing since that time.

 

The Home versus Pro part just confuses things. Home is permanently set to download and install updates automatically because it can't be configured to do otherwise. No Group Policy Editor for the IT guy to change things. Home just won't work in a corporate environment. Pro can be set to get the updates from the corporate network instead of Windows update by the IT guy. Assuming you have access to that network. That's why I think you need Pro and also access to the Windows Update for Business service to have any say in what updates get installed. Just my 2 cents though.

 

Referring to the CB, CBB, and LTSB columns in the table in post 35:

Would a stand-alone traditional home user PC with Win 10 Pro necessarily have access to CBB and LTSB?

Or not?

If not, what is the advantage of Pro over Home as regards "updates"?

I'm just unclear on whether Win 10 Pro on a stand-alone would necessarily allow you to avoid individually chosen updates indefinitely, as opposed to simply deferring.

I'm on Win 7 Home and debating an upgrade to Pro. The only conceivable reason for me to do so would be for the changes in update functionality. Traditionally, I have accepted probably 98% of offered updates, but am uncertain how the "forced updates" thing will pan out long term for Win 10 Home users.

 

CBB will receive all updates at the same pace as consumers, but allow administrators to delay non-critical updates to ensure they are suitable for their environment. < I think you need CCB to defer updates and stand alone Pro install can't get that. It's open to interpretation though, that's the problem. Somebody else may read that differently. I personally think its a Consumer versus Corporate thing, not a Home versus Pro thing. I hope I'm wrong but that's what it looks like to me.

 

This has been an interesting read. The forced updated concern me. I hope is stays where we can control it. MS should have more information available soon.