Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) for Surface devices

Warning

For updated information on this topic, see Surface device compatibility with Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel.

General-purpose Surface devices in the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) aren't supported. As a general guideline, if a Surface device runs productivity software, such as Microsoft Office, it's a general-purpose device that doesn't qualify for LTSC and should instead be on the Semi-Annual Channel.

Note

For more information about the servicing branches, see Overview of Windows as a service.

LTSC prevents Surface devices from receiving critical Windows 10 feature updates and certain nonsecurity servicing updates. Customers with poor experiences using Surface devices in the LTSC configuration are advised to switch to the Semi-Annual Channel. Furthermore, the Windows 10 Enterprise LTSB edition removes core features of Surface devices, including seamless inking and touch-friendly applications. It doesn't contain key in-box applications including Microsoft Edge, OneNote, Calendar, or Camera. Therefore, productivity is impacted and functionality is limited. LTSC isn't supported as a suitable servicing solution for general-purpose Surface devices.

General-purpose Surface devices are intended to run on the Semi-Annual Channel to receive full servicing and firmware updates and forward compatibility with the introduction of new Surface features. In the Semi-Annual Channel, feature updates are available as soon as Microsoft releases them.

Surface devices in specialized scenarios–such as PCs that control medical equipment, point-of-sale systems, and ATMs–might consider the use of LTSC. These special-purpose systems typically perform a single task and don't require feature updates as frequently as other devices in the organization.