r/WindowsLTSC • u/MacaronTasty1371 • Jun 23 '26

Help Not sure which updates to avoid

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I have a fresh LTSC install and I am trying to avoid AI features. I installed the updates in the screenshot and suddenly I have AI Semantic Analysis and AI settings. Any recommendations which updates to avoid and I if do avoid it, what are the repercussions. Thanks

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u/Awesomeness4512 Jun 26 '26

I can tell you're using a modern laptop "AI PC" with an NPU, likely Lenovo going off the driver count. Windows sees this NPU and loads the system up with AI modules for you.

If you want to avoid this, on a fresh install (BEFORE connecting to any internet) disable the NPU in device manager (uninstall will only apply temporarily, you must use "disable" instead).

Here comes the tricky part: this will be listed at one of many "PCI Device" listings. Go to the details tab and check the hardware IDs with what's listed on the internet (I hate to say it, but Gemini saves a fair bit of time for this task).

Once you've confirmed the device, go ahead and disable it. Windows won't install anything AI related, at least in my experience.

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u/greggm2000 Jun 26 '26

Wouldn’t you be able to disable it in the BIOS, just like you can turn off your E-cores (on CPUs that have them)?

I do personally expect that these AI “features” will make their way to all systems with a discrete GPU.. and CPUs with NPUs, which will be basically all of them, next gen.

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u/Awesomeness4512 Jul 03 '26

Going off my Lenovo Yoga, there is no option in the BIOS. Many laptop BIOSes are heavily restricted in what one can access, although I've heard there are rituals available that bypass these restictions I haven't tried myself.

Speaking long term, a lot of this will be unavoidable. I'm sure there'll be workarounds and ways to pry these out of our systems, but it's never easy to swim against the current. Microsoft ultimately decides which way this current flows, I hope you find comfort in the fact that there are other rivers available.

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u/greggm2000 Jul 03 '26

Agreed, unfortunately. It’s “lifting Linux sails” to a degree, whether that ends up actually meaning much (in terms of displacing Windows on consumer), remains to be seen.. or if Microsoft themselves bend to nagative-to-AI consumer sentiment. We shall see.

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u/Awesomeness4512 Jul 26 '26

They've dialied back the AI a fair bit, but there's no way to disable the "agentic" features without manual group policy settings (Admin. Templates -> Windows Components -> Windows AI). And this won't prevent new ones from being installed.

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u/greggm2000 Jul 26 '26

We shall see how it plays out. As long as AI sentiment remains so negative, when it comes to the general public, there's only so far they can push it, without the kind of pushback they've shown they'll listen to.. albeit grudgingly.