Windows 10 Professional

About this release

This is the standard desktop image for machines that are staying on the previous generation of Windows, either because the hardware is not eligible for the current one or because the software stack on them was validated years ago and nobody wants to move it. The Professional edition is the right level for anything doing real work: it carries the group policy editor, remote desktop hosting, drive encryption and the domain features that the Home edition leaves out.

The image is multilingual, so the display language is chosen during setup rather than being fixed into the build. Regional formats, keyboard layouts and time settings all follow from that choice, and additional language packs can be added afterwards without reinstalling.

Setup is the ordinary out of box experience. Write the image to a stick with any of the usual tools, boot from it, partition, and let it run. Driver coverage in the image is broad enough that network and storage come up on most hardware without hunting for anything first, and anything missing usually arrives through the update channel on first connection.

For anyone installing onto a machine that currently runs something else, the setup offers an in place upgrade that keeps files and applications, or a clean install that wipes the target partition. The clean route is the one worth taking on a machine that has accumulated years of software.

What it does

Professional feature set

Group policy, remote desktop hosting, drive encryption and domain join included.

Multilingual image

Display language, keyboard and regional format chosen during setup.

Broad driver coverage

Network and storage come up on most hardware without a separate driver step.

Clean or in place install

Wipe the partition or upgrade in place keeping files and applications.

Long term stability

The final feature release of this generation, so the build stops moving underneath you.

Virtualisation support

The hypervisor platform is present for virtual machines and containers.

Changed in this version

• Image refreshed with the current cumulative update folded in.
• Updated storage and network drivers for recent chipsets.
• Setup no longer stalls on some machines with mixed drive types.
• Language selection screen simplified.

System requirements

Install order

1. Write the image to a USB stick with a tool that handles bootable media.
2. Back up anything on the target machine before you start.
3. Boot from the stick and choose the display language and edition.
4. Choose a clean install for a machine with years of accumulated software, or upgrade in place to keep it.

Worth knowing before you start

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