How to upgrade Windows 10 to LTSC without losing your data

To upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC, you can edit the Registry, download the correct ISO file, and launch the setup to complete the in-place upgrade.
Windows 10 support under the regular servicing channels will end on October 14, 2025. However, you can upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC 2021 (supported until January 12, 2027) or Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021 (supported until January 13, 2032) to continue receiving security updates.

Yes, it’s possible to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) edition, and in this guide, I’ll show you how to complete this process.

Microsoft is finally ending support for Windows 10 on October 14, 2025, and while it’s possible to enroll in the Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for an additional year of critical security updates, or upgrade to Windows 11 to continue with support, there’s also the third option, which is to upgrade to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC that extends support until January 12, 2027. You can extend the support of Windows 10 until January 13, 2032, with the “IoT Enterprise LTSC 2021“ option. However, the ISO file is more difficult to locate.

Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC is a variant of the operating system designed for traditional workstations that receives support for only five years. On the other hand, Windows 10 IoT Enterprise LTSC is another variant that receives updates for ten years, designed for industrial equipment (such as ATMs, point-of-sale (POS) terminals, and kiosk devices).

It’s important to note that both Enterprise LTSC and IoT Enterprise LTSC are special releases of the operating system that require Volume Licensing (VL) for internal use or OEM licensing for commercial products from Microsoft. In other words, you will need a commercial product key to activate. However, in the past, the company used to offer the Enterprise LTSC variant for download, which anyone could use for testing purposes. Currently, you can still find the ISO file on the Archive.org website.

In this guide, I’ll explain the steps to upgrade from the regular version of Windows 10 to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC.

Warning: This is not a Microsoft-supported upgrade process. If you plan to upgrade, it’s recommended to create a full backup of your computer before proceeding, in case you need to roll back. Use these instructions at your own risk.

Upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 10 LTSC

The upgrade process requires editing the Registry to trick the Windows 10 LTSC setup into believing that the device is already running the supported editions and version of the operating system.

After adding the proper entries in the Registry, you can proceed with the in-place upgrade as you would normally do with other versions of the operating system.

Finally, when using this process, remember that you’ll be downgrading from Windows 10 22H2 to version 21H2.

1. Check current version details

To check the version details of Windows 10, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for Command Prompt (or Terminal) and click the top result to open the console.
Type the following command to confirm the version details and press Enter:
```
dism /online /get-intl
```
Confirm the system location information. For example, en-US.

After you complete the steps, you’ll know the exact language you have to download to perform the in-place upgrade.

2. Download Windows 10 LTSC ISO file

To download the Windows 10 LTSC ISO file, follow these steps:

Open the Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC download page.
Click the “ISO Image” option.
Save the Windows 10 LTSC 2021 ISO file on your computer.

Once you complete the steps, you will have an ISO file, which you can mount in File Explorer to launch the in-place upgrade after making the necessary changes to your computer.

3. Change Registry entries

To change the Registry to bypass the requirements to upgrade to Windows 10 LTSC, follow these steps:

Open Start.
Search for regedit and click the top result to open the Registry.

Open the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion

Right-click the EditionID key and choose the Modify option.
Change the key to EnterpriseS and click the OK button.
Right-click the ProductName key and choose the Modify option.
Change the key to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC and click the OK button.
Right-click the ReleaseID key and choose the Modify option.
Change the key to 21H2 and click the OK button.
Right-click the DisplayVersion key and choose the Modify option.
Change the key to 21H2 and click the OK button.
Right-click the CurrentBuild key and choose the Modify option.
Change the key to 19044 and click the OK button.
Right-click the CurrentBuildNumber key and choose the Modify option.
Change the key to 19044 and click the OK button.
Close the Registry and do not restart the computer.

Once you complete the steps, you can proceed with the upgrade process to Windows 10 LTSC using the previously downloaded ISO file.

If you’re comfortable running commands, you can open Command Prompt (admin), and then run this command to edit the Registry:

reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v EditionID /t REG_SZ /d EnterpriseS /f & reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v ProductName /t REG_SZ /d "Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC" /f & reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v ReleaseID /t REG_SZ /d 21H2 /f & reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v DisplayVersion /t REG_SZ /d 21H2 /f & reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v CurrentBuild /t REG_SZ /d 19044 /f & reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion" /v CurrentBuildNumber /t REG_SZ /d 19044 /f

4. Upgrade Windows 10 Pro to Enterprise LTSC

To perform an in-place upgrade from Windows 10 Pro to Windows 10 Enterprise LTSC without a USB using the official ISO file, follow these steps:

Open File Explorer.
Open the folder where you downloaded the official LTSC ISO file.
Right-click the ISO file, select the “Open with” submenu, and choose the “Windows Explorer” option.

Quick tip: If you don’t have a third-party application to manage file compression, such as 7-Zip, you can simply double-click the ISO file.
Click on the mounted drive from the left navigation pane.
Double-click the Setup.exe file to begin the Windows 10 installation.
(Optional) Click the Change how Windows Setup downloads updates option.
Select the Not right now option.
Click the Next button.
Click the Accept button to confirm your agreement to the terms.
Click the Install button if you are upgrading to a new version and you want to keep your files and apps.

Once you complete the steps, the Windows 10 LTSC upgrade process will begin, and the device will restart several times.

After the upgrade, you’ll have to activate the installation with a valid LTSC product key.