Almost a year ago, in October 2021, Microsoft began a phased, phased rollout of Windows 11 21H2. While much of the attention has been on the client builds, which is also expected, the Windows 11 IoT Enterprise build also went live the same day. The latter brought support for useful new technologies such as Windows Subsystem for Linux GUI (WSLg), USB4, Wi-Fi 6E, etc. You can read about it in this article.
Microsoft, however, has not released a Long Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) for Windows 11 IoT Enterprise. The latest findings from prolific leaker and Twitter user Xeno, however, suggest that the company may be releasing one soon.
Digging into the ntdef.h kernel header of the Windows SDK revealed a potential new Windows 11 SKU called “IOTENTERPRISESK” with the hex ID “0x000000CD”. According to Xeno, the new IOTENTERPRISEK denotes the upcoming Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC subscription SKU.
Here is a winver screenshot of the build. As you can see, the OS version here is clearly described as Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC Subscription.
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Given that Microsoft released the non-LTSC Windows 11 IoT SKU last year shortly after the release of the 21H2 client, it’s possible the company is planning to do something similar this year as well. And with the 22H2 release fast approaching, the Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC subscription release may not be far off.
By: Xeno (Twitter)
