WINDOWS 10 PRO VS WINDOWS 10 PRO N

Windows 10 installation has loads of options these days - but have you noticed these new “N” versions of Windows? Well, these are new, and it's better to say that Microsoft was forced to release them.

Windows 10 “N” is actually Windows 10 but without any media tools, and it is only available in the EU.

Previously, Windows used to ship with loads of bloatware - like OneDrive, Skype, and also some games like Microsoft Solitaire.

Now, the first question is, what’s the problem with all of this bloatware? These led to high CPU and RAM usage. And, frustrated users, who wanted all of their resources in the software they were using, were hugely disappointed with Windows!

The only way out was to crack Windows, remove the software you don’t need and then reinstall it. But there are several potential risks of cracking and pirating software.

But there is an even bigger story than that.

In a single speech Windows 10 Pro N does not contain any multimedia apps that come with Windows 10 Pro. Example: Music, Video, TV, Voice Recorder and Skype.

The EU court had a strong claim against Microsoft that they are forcing Windows users to use Microsoft apps by providing built-in apps that have many other alternatives in the market. Or you may say that the EU court found that Microsoft was doing a monopoly business by providing some built-in apps through which the company was taking some extra advantage for beating the other app vendors.

To solve this issue and recover the EU market Microsoft released another version of Windows 10 Pro which is very similar to the existing Pro edition but all other multimedia apps and skype is not available with that. And it is the “N” edition of Windows 10.

Now, basically, the N versions are bloatware free versions, meaning you won’t have any of the pre-installed bloatware in these, and you can install a clean copy of Windows into your system. But don't worry, the “N” users have the option to download the missing Microsoft apps using the Microsoft Store app.

Now, don’t get me wrong - these N versions aren’t a separate version of Windows - and you won’t face any serious problems if you have the N versions in your system - like the RAM support for example. You can still install 2TB of RAM in your Pro N, and open infinite Chrome tabs!

Don’t take my word - this is the official documentation from Microsoft’s website -

The "N" editions of Windows 10 Home and Windows 10 Pro include the same functionality as the standard edition, except that they do not include certain media-related technologies (Windows Media Player, Camera, Music, Films & TV) and do not include the Skype app.

But, do you remember how the EU court had forced Microsoft to launch the N versions? Well, yes, the N versions were launched for the European markets, meaning you cannot get the N versions from any other part of the world! And it was done to give the consumers an equal opportunity to download and use their required multimedia apps according to their choice.

Just a quick Google search reveals the top result as the Iceland page of Microsoft. And then, there are no more Windows 10 Pro N vendor pages!

Now, can you buy it from the US or India? Well yes, there are always third-party vendors and cracking is an option.

Although this article strongly doesn’t suggest cracking. And even if you crack Windows, this video will not be responsible for any loss of data or any other damage that may occur to you or your hardware.

So, the key takeaway is that - Windows 10 “N” is actually Windows 10 but without any media tools, and it is only available in the EU. If you get your hands on it from some other region of the world - then that’s not a legitimate version of Windows.