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This can be unlocked to full Windows 10 but this is permanent and cannot be switched back.

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The various options break down into device or situation specific in order to suit the needs of the user, business or education system.

Windows 10 Home, Pro, Enterprise and Education are the main editions with all the bells and whistles Microsoft has to offer but there are more stripped out versions that offer benefits too.

Windows 10 Windows 10 in S mode is one of the newer addition types which is designed to offer a more lightweight version of the OS for the most efficient performance.

As such this feature-limited Windows 10 is ideal for affordable devices used in situations like education.

This also works well as a less process intensive platform for older hardware and mobile devices like tablet computers.

So there are lots of versions to pick from and you may be wondering which is best for you, fret not.

Read more about Windows 10 migration on our sister website, ITProPortal.com (Image credit: TechRadar) Windows 10 Home The version of Windows 10 that youre most likely to get if you buy a new PC, tablet or 2-in-1 is Windows 10 Home, which has the key features of Windows 10, from the latest Start menu to the Edge browser, to the Windows Hello biometric login feature that uses your face or fingerprint instead of a password, to a now-mandatory Cortana the voice-controlled assistant.

Windows 10 Home includes game streaming from Xbox One, which lets you play games from your Xbox One on your PC instead.

To keep home users more secure, updates like the massive Anniversary Update overhaul from Windows Update, and you dont get the option not to install critical and security updates.

How to download and install the Windows 10 Anniversary Update Windows 10 Home includes the Continuum feature for tablets.

This is the tablet mode that simplifies the taskbar and the Start menu, and makes your apps full screen you can split your screen between two apps, but this is much simpler than the way Windows 8.1 let you arrange windows on-screen.

Image credit: Microsoft) Windows 10 Pro If you use your PC for business, Windows 10 Pro has extra features over Windows 10 Home the most important of which is being able to join a domain, including Azure Active Directory for single sign-on to cloud services (and have group policy applied as part of that).

You also get Hyper-V for virtualisation, BitLocker whole disk encryption, enterprise mode Internet Explorer, Remote Desktop, a version of the Windows Store for your own business, Enterprise Data Protection containers and assigned access (which locks a PC to running only one modern application, to use like a kiosk).

Pro users can get updates from Windows Update for Business, which includes options for scheduling updates so they dont reboot PCs at important business times.

There are ways of connecting Windows Home PCs to a server, but if you want the familiar business PC experience, Windows 10 Pro is what you need.

For Business Free Upgrade From

It is a free upgrade from the Pro versions of Windows 7 and 8.1 (which includes Windows 7 Ultimate as well as Professional, and Windows 8.1 Pro and Pro for Students), youll be able to upgrade to it from Windows 10 Home, and some desktops and notebooks designed for business will come with Windows 10 Pro.

Image credit: HP) Windows 10 Pro for Workstations As the name suggests this is Windows 10 Pro at its core but rather than being built for all work scenarios this is specifically tailored to high-end hardware.

That means this supports very intensive tasks and as such works well with the likes of Intel Xeon, AMD Opteron and AMD Epyc processor.

You can bolt together up to four CPUs and this will help you take advantage of all of them.

You also get support for up to 6TB or RAM, the ReFS file system for safe storage that fights against corruption, Non-Volatile Dual In-line Memory Module and remote direct memory access.

This OS uses fewer CPU cycles meaning you end up with more capacity so you can multitask lots of processes at the same time without costing you on performance.

The use of persistent memory support also means this OS will let you access your files even if you shut down the system.

The Remote Direct Memory Access means you can transfer files between server, PC and SMB Direct quickly with low latency on network requests.

Image credit: Microsoft) Windows 10 in S mode Formerly Windows 10 S, now Windows 10 in S mode, this is a feature limited version of Windows 10 that purposely comes with certain elements disabled.

As a result this is aimed at more affordable devices, making it ideal for school age education scenarios.

The key here is that Windows 10 in S mode only allows for software to be downloaded and installed via the Microsoft Store, making it more secure and safe.

Windows 10 For Business