A hypothetical Windows Workstation 2016/Windows NT 10 Pro OS, for fun

[pxc]

There are instructions for turning various versions of Windows Server into a "workstation" desktop OS. There have typically been few reasons to do so, aside some very specific uses (based on functionality only available in the server OS version, or simply because someone wants to try it). And bringing the functionality of a desktop-orientated OS by enabling services and installing 3rd party software (like Classic Shell and whatever else) kind of makes it messy and inconvenient to configure. You really have to work to make it as usable as the equivalent desktop release.

But, aside from the price of a server license, "Windows NT 10 Professional" does look appealing in that it has better flexibility/more predictable LTSB branch and virtually no privacy issues. It's an obvious solution for enterprise customers and even some consumers who have problems with Windows 10 "features". I would pay extra for that OS.

Anyone else have thoughts about why this might be a dumb or good idea?

 

[DrLobotomy]

I used to use NT Server and Windows 2000 Server for my desktop systems.

I used to use this site to keep me running...

NT Compatible

I still use a Windows 2008 r2 Enterprise for a second desktop. Although it seems to really just do server stuff now as I have seem to grown an addiction to Windows 7. I think it SLI problems and other consumer hardware like video capture devices that also had issues that led me to a desktop instead of server OS.

The main reason was stability and better RAM control. Also networking projects are easier to accomplish on the server OS.

 

[devil22]

Might want to check out Convert your Windows Server 2012 to a Workstation! if you haven't already. There is some stuff on 2016 in the forums, and the main page will be updated to cover 2016 when it's released. I want to do this, unfortunately intel are being real bastards about not allowing their desktop network drivers to work in Windows server, sigh. I did get the new beta network drivers to install through device manager, but it required disabling SecureBoot and enabling test signing. After which I could disable test signing and it worked but SecureBoot with the drivers was a no go.

 

[Deleted member 245375]

Anyone else have thoughts about why this might be a dumb or good idea?

Since the only actual benefit of Windows 10 nowadays (aside from it being free of cost for the first year, of course) is DirectX 12 by and large, jumping through even more hoops and paying for LTSB if you could even buy a single license of it which you can't actually do is pretty dumb and absolutely not a good idea.

If you want 'server like' performance on a desktop OS, just go into the System Properties and change the option for Processor Scheduling from Programs to Background services and you'll get similar overall performance. As for the rest of it, well, again, jumping through all those hoops just to use Windows 10, I really don't grasp why people do it.