LTSC 2021 vs. IoT LTSC 2021: tips on installations
In this post, "Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021" will be referred to as "non-IoT", and "Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021" will be referred to as "IoT".
Q: What's the difference between non-IoT and IoT?
A: They are essentially the same, except:
| non-IoT | IoT |
---|
Lifecycle end date | Jan 12, 2027 | Jan 13, 2032 |
Generic key type | KMS | RTM |
Generic key embedded in the ISO file | M7XTQ-FN8P6-TTKYV-9D4CC-J462D | QPM6N-7J2WJ-P88HH-P3YRH-YY74H |
Activation method | KMS | Digital License (HWID) |
Languages available for ISO files | All native languages available, such like en-gb, fr-fr, de-de, etc. | Only en-us "English (United States)" is available. |
Q: If I want IoT, can I install with the ISO file of the IoT version, which is only available in en-us, then later on install language packs of my choice?
A: Yes. However, keep in mind that in some cases it will not be the same as installing from an ISO file in the native language. For exmaple, if you install with an en-us ISO, then install the en-gb language pack, then you could get the pesky "English (United States)" keyboard layout coming back again and again. It is recommended that you do a clean installation in the native language you want, e.g. install en-gb non-IoT, then switch to IoT (see below), so that you get IoT in native language "English (United Kingdom)".
Q: Can I switch between non-IoT and IoT after installation?
A: Yes. You can freely switch between these two at any time by changing the key (see generic keys in the table above). Right-click on Start menu, run "PowerShell (Admin)", type in the following command:
slmgr /ipk XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX
Q: How can I activate?
A: For genuine MSDN subscribers: you activate non-IoT with the KMS server of your institute, or activate IoT with the MAK key provided by your institute.
For home users: as per sub rules, no linking of pirated content, thus I will not provide any link here for Medicines.
MAS 1.4 will fail for IoT with the following error:
==== ERROR ====
[Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 | 19044 | SKU:191] HWID Activation is Not Supported.
Press any key to exit...
However, simply modify the code for the SKU value in HWID_Activation.cmd:
Line 679:
191-IoTEnterprise
and lines 761-763:
:IoTEnterprise
set "key=QPM6N-7J2WJ-P88HH-P3YRH-YY74H"
exit /b
Then IoT activates permanently with HWID.
You must first tell us the meaning of iot LTSC to understand you