Windows 10 without advertising?

MJL · 18 Mar 2017

I have a need for running a program under windows real time - a VM will not do. I also have a need for high security and no advertisements. Windows 10 Enterprise would do the trick except it is only licensed through volume licensing which is not a solution that is available to me.

Can someone enlighten me if it would be possible to achieve above requirements through Windows Server 2016 essentials and installing the GUI? Would I run into "gotcha's" in a standalone environment?

Many thanks in advance, Marinus

alphanumeric · 19 Mar 2017

For what its worth I'm running Windows 10 Education and not seeing any Adds. No Cortana in this version either, just the regular search.

TairikuOkami · 19 Mar 2017

Windows 10 Without the Cruft: Windows 10 LTSB (Long Term Servicing Branch), Explained

Windows 10 LTSB sounds exactly like what many Windows 10 users are asking for. Unfortunately, there’s no legitimate way

for the average Windows user to get it. That’s no surprise–Microsoft doesn’t even want businesses using Windows 10 LTSB for most of their PCs.

PiKo · 19 Mar 2017

I never see advertisements in W10. I do not use Cortana. I see ads with browsing or Google, but that has nothing to do with W10 version. You may use an ads blocker or tweak your hosts file to reduce the number of adds during browsing.

alphanumeric · 19 Mar 2017

Be careful, forum rule 13) No ad blocking discussions. This site depends on ads to pay for the costs of running and maintaining it.

MJL · 19 Mar 2017

Thanks for the replies sofar, I am aware of the LTSB and Education versions but neither is available to me. I am also aware of tweaking the environment however I need to keep the installation as plain vanilla as possible for reliability purposes. I've always paid for my licences and I find it a sad state of affairs that businesses seem to think that shoving advertisements and apps down someone's throat, ehh... force these things unwantedly on someone's computer, is the way forward rather than charging a reasonable fee.

I'm still looking forward to find out if using a Windows Server 2016 will have a GUI without advertising or receiving forced apps and can run a dedicated windows GUI application (which does not check if it runs on a server or not unlike some MSN software like Outlook).

Thanks in advance, Marinus.

lx07 · 19 Mar 2017

What advertising are you on about? The OneDrive nag in File explorer?

I don't know but I doubt you would get it as Server 2016 doesn't have OneDrive by default - you have to install it. Therefore this ad (which is a File Explorer Sync Provider Notification you can turn off) presumably wouldn't appear.

There are quite a lot of ads/suggestions in Pro but I've not found any you can't turn off by toggling the various "show suggestions" buttons. So far...

Kari · 19 Mar 2017

MJL said:

I have a need for running a program under windows real time - a VM will not do. I also have a need for high security and no advertisements. Windows 10 Enterprise would do the trick except it is only licensed through volume licensing which is not a solution that is available to me.

Can someone enlighten me if it would be possible to achieve above requirements through Windows Server 2016 essentials and installing the GUI? Would I run into "gotcha's" in a standalone environment?

Many thanks in advance, Marinus

Windows 10 Enterprise is available as subscription plans E3 (my recommendation to you) and E5. Plan E3 price is currently $7 + VAT per month.

You can only get Windows 10 Enterprise subscription plans through official Microsoft Partners. Microsoft does not sell them directly nor can they be bought on stores.

Find a partner near you and contact them: Find Microsoft Partners Near You - MSFT Partner Directory

More about Windows 10 Enterprise subscription plans E3 and E5: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/WindowsForBusiness/buy

Kari

lx07 · 19 Mar 2017

If you want to run one dedicated app you might want to look into this

Set up a kiosk on Windows 10 Pro, Enterprise, or Education

Windows 10 without advertising?

Windows 10 without advertising? Will Server Essentials w/ GUI work?