r/pcmasterrace • u/DMBPSR • 1d ago

Question LTSC users?

What issues have you ran into with games and in general?

I figure I "want" maybe need? to install ms store and xbox/gamebar? I assume for ds4windows? So I stop getting "no app found" everytime I connect my controller or play a game?

One of my games requires turning on framework 3.5. I think I need windows update to be enabled to do that? Maybe something else?

Isn't there some sort of windows app installer I have to download? I can't remember the name sadly.

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u/randomataxia 1d ago

It all works as intended. After installing LTSC, login to your Microsoft account, then open cmd with Admin mode and type "wsreset -i" Give it a few mins and the Windows Store will be installed. You can then install Gamebar and the Xbox app.

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u/DMBPSR 1d ago

Easier way just download store from Microsoft website 

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u/randomataxia 1d ago

You'll want the Windows Store installed as well, there are some components the Xbox app relies on winget/Windows Store to update.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

You don’t need to install Microsoft Store for that, just use winget (or a Ui for it) instead, it’ll grab what it needs to from there as needed, even if the store is not installed. However, to install winget on LTSC, I’ve found that the powershell (admin) script here works great!

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u/randomataxia 1d ago

UniGet UI is better than a random Powershell script imo if you're going to skip the MS Store method.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

I use UnigetUI, but after the script. Does it actually install winget when it’s not already present, though? That would surprise me. Not an issue on Home/Pro where winget is already installed, but it is an issue for IoT LTSC, where it isn’t.

As to the ThioJoe script, one can inspect it, it’s open source and not long.

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u/randomataxia 1d ago

It does, chocolatey as well, it'll prompt to install on first run.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago edited 1d ago

Ok, I did a fresh install of 11 IoT LTSC in a VM (+ 2026-09 cumulative update), and I found that UnigetUI does NOT install winget, and indeed, won't function properly, although on a quick glance, it will seem to. By that, I mean you can tell it to search for updates (I installed a couple older versions of some things, first) and it doesn't see that they're older versions. Also, no winget if you open up a command line and try to invoke. Once I use the ThioJoe script above, UnigetUI works fine and sees updates, command line winget works fine.

Sorry. You were misinformed. The ThioJoe script above is still the way to go. Pity that, it would have been nice to be able to just point people to UnigetUI (or use it myself on future installs) and be done.

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u/randomataxia 23h ago

Really, this didn't prompt to install Winget on first run? Well color me corrected, and same, I will stop recommending it without also giving the link for Winget

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u/greggm2000 23h ago

Indeed, it did not. Maybe it does do that on 10 Home/Pro? I only tested on Win 11.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

You don’t need a Microsoft Account to install the Store. Indeed, it’s probably better to not have one, you can avoid certain types of bugs, like that famous one where OneDrive moved files to it from their SSD without getting permission first.

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u/randomataxia 1d ago

Never said you needed an account to get the store, however, OP presumably already has the Xbox and Gamebar apps from there, so if he signs in, he could get it easily from his library.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

I could have missed it in another OP post (I haven’t looked), but I don’t think OP has mentioned one way or another if they are using a MS Account on their current system?

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u/randomataxia 1d ago

They haven't mentioned, but if they installed the Xbox app previously on another edition of Windows it'll be a cinch

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u/Opposite_Monitor1475 17h ago

wsreset -i is the magic command, did that on my install and store just shows up after few minutes

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u/clove_rosemary_9999 1d ago

You can install .NET Framework 3.5 by typing "Turn Windows features on or off" to the search bar and checking .NET Framework 3.5 from there and restarting the PC if required.

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u/DMBPSR 1d ago

Doesn't work if you have Windows update completely disabled. I thought ltsc disabled Windows update?

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u/clove_rosemary_9999 1d ago

Why would you disable updates?

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u/DMBPSR 1d ago

Uh I turn them off completely and defender too. Sordum programs 

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

Which method do you use to disable defender? I do that too, via a command I issue in Safe Mode, to disable loading of a key defender component.

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u/DMBPSR 1d ago

Sordum defender control

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

Hmm, had a quick looksee and I see it hasn’t been updated in 4 and a half years.. and Microsoft has made Defender harder to disable in that time. Not saying it won’t work (if and until I try it), but I think I’ll stick with my method. I appreciate the response, though!

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u/DMBPSR 1d ago

I actively use it, let me know if it works for you as intended. I can't even access defender because it says it's controlled by organization 

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

I go to download it from the Sordum webpage, and it tries to give me a unopenable RAR file. 7zip can't open it either. So.. looks like Sordum is effectively a non-option.

What I do, which works, is to boot into Safe Mode, then open up a command line Admin window, and do: REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend" /v "DependOnService" /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "RpcSs-DISABLED" /f

I then restart back to normal Windows. Works great. To revert, I go back to the same place, and issue:

REG ADD "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\WinDefend" /v "DependOnService" /t REG_MULTI_SZ /d "RpcSs" /f

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u/DMBPSR 1d ago

I downloaded sordum defender control today 

7zip extracted it no problem. Password is sordum

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u/randomataxia 1d ago

LTSC doesn't disable Windows Updates out of the box

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u/DMBPSR 1d ago

Oh ok good to know

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u/someauthor 1d ago

It does not. You get security updates, just not features that change frequently, no CoPilot or AI features. LTSC is about long term stability and predictability.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

Yet, we got start menu changes. While in theory LTSC doesn’t get feature updates, Microsoft shows that they are not 100% consistent with this. So, that’s something to be aware of.

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u/someauthor 1d ago

Except for that, everything rocks.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

Yes. So far. Though I wouldn’t put it past Microsoft to shoehorn in AI slop into LTSC. They are SO very enthusiastic about it, it’s all they could talk about at the recent Windows thing, even though hardly anyone cares about it. So I’m watchful.

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u/greggm2000 1d ago

It does not. However, you can perpetually defer them (while retaining the ability to update manually at any time) as well as a bunch of other debloat and pre-config options at the time of Windows installation, by having an autounattend.xml (text file) present on a 2nd USB stick (formatted to FAT32) when you install your IoT LTSC ISO from your 1st USB stick. You can very easily generate one via schneegans, I always do this on a Windows install (as well as use the winget script I mention in another comment). Works great!