Which W10 build is the least "bloated"

[videobruce]

To be clear, I'm talking about the 14 "builds", not the W10 software versions. I've used the 'Pro' version of the last 3 OS'es (Win 2000, XP Pro and Win 7 Pro. The anti AMD Win 98 2nd Edition POS was the exception (I don't remember if there was a "Home" version or not).

I compiled a list from numerous sources, but the specific versions have limited 'differences' listed from the previous build. I'm looking for the lest bloated 'build' w/o all the crap that has been added since 2015 that I have zero use for. More to go wrong.
I narrowed it down to between 1803, 1809, 1903, 1909 and 2004. Based on what I read and the EOS dates, the number of updates, the 1903 seemed the best choice. Not too new, not to old.

Some of those 14 'builds had up to 160 'KB' updates (yes, I counted)! 1903 had 41 which was bad enough to add to NT Lite's custom image as it is.

So, any constructive input is welcome.
When one runs the right 'monitoring' programs, doing so considerably reduces chances of unwelcome activity. (Bit Meter or now DU Meter and Process Hacker or now System Informer to name my favorites.

 

[garlin]

This is an incorrect take on how to look at the different W10 branches.

Every successive Windows build will add more features over time. W10 22H2 (2004) will have more components than 1803, some of which you may not appreciate being in the image.

On the other hand, earlier Windows builds are less mature and more buggy. New features aren't fully finished or tweaked to run better.

There are two intersecting paths. One line tracks how fast the releases grow in size and complexity, but the other line tracks how stable and usable the final product is. Experienced W10 users know 1803 and 1809 have major issues. Somewhere around 1903 and 1909, W10 is just about right before too many UI changes arrive in 2004.

In the end, it may depend on what minimum version of Windows is required by your apps. Gamers are hit hard because some games (due to anti-cheat protections) require a later W10. Other apps may be indifferent to the Windows version.

I don't understand your comment about KB updates, unless you're thinking like a W7 user.

Each build gets the most recent Monthly CU, and whatever .NET cumulative updates exist. Since you only need the last CU, .NET, and any Defender updates, you don't end up with 41 updates for any given W10 branch. It's more like 6-7, not counting any one-off Security Updates for CPU vulnerabilities. Starting in W10, updates are truly cumulative and entirely replace their preceding versions.

W10 22H2 may be the most "bloated", because it layers all the feature changes since the beginning. But since it's reached End of Service, you know it's stable in not expecting any future changes. If you're enrolled in ESU, at most you're only getting security fixes for reported vulnerabilities. So feature-wise, it's done (and has been quiet for a while before that).

While you can pick 1903 or 1909, you'll have to navigate thru old knowledge, because some Windows tweaks only work for specific W10 branches and the behavior might have changed by the time you reach a later branch. That's not an NTLite-specific problem, but it's harder to ask someone to remember how to fix a W10 problem dating back more that 4-5 years.

 

[tharri]

In my opinion, 1909, specifically 18363.2039, was the best build of Windows 10.

Like Garlin said though, if you intend to use it for gaming or Xbox apps, or need the Store, you will likely run into compatibility problems.

 

[videobruce]

Absolutely, no games, Xbox or their 'Store'!

Every successive Windows build will add more features over time. W10 22H2 (2004) will have more components than 1803, some of which you may not appreciate being in the image.

On the other hand, earlier Windows builds are less mature and more buggy. New features aren't fully finished or tweaked to run better.

Your 1st point is exactly what I was saying. I understand your 2nd point, but the problem is;
1. They may 'fix' some features, but in doing so, may break others.
2. In the mean time, 3rd party user 'tweaks/fixes, that use to work won't anymore. Users that went thru the trouble to 'fix' their 'my way or the highway' mentality. Example; moving functions around enough one can't find them. IOW's, breaking something that didn't need changing.

In my opinion, 1909, specifically 18363.2039, was the best build of Windows 10.

Which is the input I was looking for!

 

[AeonX]

For me the best version was 1607 but unfortunately several things don't work in it. So I only use the latest version to avoid headaches. The performance difference is very small. Only version 1607 gives a noticeable performance boost in my tests on older hardware.

The best 22H2 build for me is 19045.6159 (July 22, 2025). The updates after that introduced a lag in the start menu and some other bugs that, when I checked, had not yet been fixed. The start menu bug is caused if you disable the News and Interest toolbar in group policy or NTLite.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/1nez1zb/taskbar_updates_very_slowly_since_a_few_days/
https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsUpdate/comments/1nebbbw/windows_10_kb5065429_and_taskbar_lag/

 

[videobruce]

I don't understand your comment about KB updates, unless you're thinking like a W7 user.

I was just referring to the extreme numbers of KB's between the builds making it more difficult to include them in a custom W10 build.

 

[garlin]

There isn't an extreme number of KB's between builds. Each branch received cumulative updates until it reached End of Servicing. If a branch has more KB's (outside of unscheduled Out of Band updates), that's because it's been serviced (or updated) longer than another branch.

For example:

1803 (2018-05 thru 2021-05, 3 years)​

1903 (2019-05 thru 2020-12, < 2 years)​

1909 (2019-11 thru 2022-05, 2.5 years)​

19041 (2020-05 thru 2021-12, 1.5 years)​

19045 (2022-10 thru 2025-10, 3 years)​

Again, only the last cumulative update matters. They don't stack, all previous updates FOR THE SAME BRANCH are superseded. You only need to know the last round of updates for that branch.

If you're using a licensed copy of NTLite, Updates Downloader will know the last set of CU's you're supposed to install.
Everything outside of the red box are optional updates.

 

[videobruce]

AeonX;​

Good examples of the extremes, too old and too new.

Starting in W10, updates are truly cumulative and entirely replace their preceding versions.

You are saying if I update using the last KB of that W10 major build, I don't have to use any of the others?

The counts of the KB's for the 14 major Builds printed out to 16 pages. Unfortunately, I didn't bookmark the site.

 

[videobruce]

Apparently I don't get the 'updates' deal in W10. I was under the impression that there are a set some security, others 'fixes' for the software of the O/S and for outside programs with compatibility issues' etc.
As example from that site I didn't bookmark, the newest entry (top of list) from 12/8/20, that can't be the only update needed can it??

​

 

[garlin]

This isn't W7 any more. KB4592499 (Dec. 2020) is inclusive of every fix from KB4505057 (May 2019) onwards.

Starting in W10, all Windows updates are cumulative. Any later update completely replaces the previous update of the same type (Monthly CU or .NET). If you attempt to add this entire list of updates to a 1903 image, NTLite will correctly begin rejecting most of the earlier updates as non-applicable (since they're replaced by a later update in your queue).

But before it gets there, NTLite has wasted a lot of time extracting each of the superseded updates in order to unpack them, before it can determine most of them are not needed because it's not the latest cumulative update.

To avoid this problem, and save both time and wasted disk space, you only need the last update in the history list.

 

[tharri]

What

For me the best version was 1607 but unfortunately several things don't work in it. So I only use the latest version to avoid headaches. The performance difference is very small. Only version 1607 gives a noticeable performance boost in my tests on older hardware.

The best 22H2 build for me is 19045.6159 (July 22, 2025). The updates after that introduced a lag in the start menu and some other bugs that, when I checked, had not yet been fixed. The start menu bug is caused if you disable the News and Interest toolbar in group policy or NTLite.
https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsHelp/comments/1nez1zb/taskbar_updates_very_slowly_since_a_few_days/
https://www.reddit.com/r/WindowsUpdate/comments/1nebbbw/windows_10_kb5065429_and_taskbar_lag/

While I've never experienced the taskbar bug on the final non-ESU update, even with News and Interest disabled, those threads seem to suggest that the following will fix the problem:

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Feeds]
"EnShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode"=-

You mentioned other bugs. What others are you aware of?

 

[AeonX]

While I've never experienced the taskbar bug on the final non-ESU update, even with News and Interest disabled

How did you disable it? Did you use NTLite or group policy (or some policy-based registry tweak)? Disabling this via the GUI doesn't cause any problems.

The registry value you mentioned didn't exist on my system, and I tried everything suggested in the post. The only thing that worked was stopping the Windows Push Notification Service, but I lost the notifications, so I removed the Search app and that solved the problem.

I'll later see if there's a way to capture the registry entry that's equivalent to disabling it via the GUI. NTLite disables this using group policy.

But anyway, nothing relevant has been added in the most recent updates, so I prefer to use a less broken build.

You mentioned other bugs. What others are you aware of?

Sorry, I didn't mean to go into too much detail.

KB5065429 (September 9, 2025) and subsequent updates cause the bug. Before that, KB5062649 (July 22, 2025) is the one without known issues.

 

[tharri]

How did you disable it? Did you use NTLite or group policy (or some policy-based registry tweak)? Disabling this via the GUI doesn't cause any problems.

I rarely use the NTLite Settings page. I import my own reg files. In this case I used the following to disable the feeds:

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Windows Feeds]
"EnableFeeds"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\PolicyManager\default\NewsAndInterests\AllowNewsAndInterests]
"value"=dword:00000000

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Feeds]
"EnShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode"=-
"IsFeedsAvailable"=dword:00000000
"ShellFeedsTaskbarOpenOnHover"=dword:00000000
"ShellFeedsTaskbarContentUpdateMode"=dword:00000001
"ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode"=dword:00000002

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Feeds]
"ShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode"=dword:00000002

NOTE: I added the "EnShellFeedsTaskbarViewMode" removal after seeing the linked article, since I did notice that it was in my registry.

I should also note that I have not used that installation extensively, so if the problem is intermittent or happens rarely, I may have simply not noticed it.

 

[videobruce]

you only need the last update in the history list.

So in the example list in my previous post, the KB at the top of that list being the "latest" out of all those entries is the ONLY KB I would need to update that version of W10 which is KB4592449 from 12/8/20??

 

[garlin]

If you're updating W10 1903, only two KB's that are required:

- KB4592449 is the last Monthly Update​

- KB5013627 is the .NET update​

Windows Update should not offer you any 1903 updates. But if this isn't an outdated PC (based on HW requirements), WU might offer your newly installed system the option to upgrade to W11.

From Settings / Tweaks, Windows Updates / Target release version -> 1909

Press the space bar to keep cycling through the listed version until you reach 1909.​