Windows 10 NY Kn Editions – What They Are And More

Have you seen some? editions of Windows 10 Are you seeing Windows 10 N or Windows 10 KN marked and wondering why they are different from other Windows editions? You are not alone. Many other users have been wondering the same thing. In this article, you will learn what Windows XNUMX N or Windows XNUMX KN are. Windows 10 N and KN editions, why they are called that and if you need them.

Windows 10 N and KN editions

As I just told you, in this post we are going to delve more into the Windows 10 Editions, so I invite you to pay attention and take note of the different features of the editions. Windows 10 N and KN:

Windows 10 N Editions

In 2004, the European Commission issued a ruling for anti-competitive practices after finding that Microsoft had massively violated European antitrust law and was abusing its monopoly market to harm competing audio and video applications. The EU subsequently fined Microsoft and then required Microsoft to offer a version of Windows without Windows Media Player.

This decision is the reason why Microsoft is distributing the special edition of Windows 10 “N” for Microsoft Windows in Europe. This special edition of Windows includes all the features of the Windows operating system, except that it does not include Windows Media Player and other media playback features pre-installed.

For example, Windows 7 will lack Windows Media Player and Windows Media Center. Similarly, in Windows 10, Microsoft does not include Windows Media Player, Movies & TV, Groove Music, Skype, or Voice Recorder.

Computer manufacturers and consumers can choose the version of Windows N without Windows Media Player and then install their preferred media applications. However, Windows N is not the only version of Windows that Microsoft offers in the European Union. The Windows N version is just one option that must be available in the EU as required by law. Users can still access the other standard versions of Windows.

Windows 10 KN Edition

In 2005, Microsoft found itself on the wrong side of the law again. The Korean Fair Trade Commission determined that Microsoft was abusing its monopoly position. Microsoft was using its position to harm competing messaging and multimedia apps.

Like the EU, the Korean Fair Trade Commission fined and required Microsoft to offer a version of Windows without MSN Messenger and Windows Media Player.

Microsoft then introduced a special version of Windows called the “KN” editions of Windows available in Korea. Similar to the Windows N version, the Microsoft Windows KN version has all the other features of Windows except MSN Messanger and Windows Media Player and their related multimedia features.

Microsoft has since completely discontinued the Messenger app from all of its Windows versions. This means that the Windows KN version now only lacks Windows Media Player and its related media features.

Does Microsoft produce only one edition of Windows N or KN?

There is no single “N” or “KN” edition of Windows. Instead, Microsoft produces Windows “N” or Windows KN versions of most of its standard Windows editions. For example, if you need to buy Windows 10, Microsoft produces different editions such as Windows 10 Home and Student, N, Windows 10 Enterprise N, or Windows 10 Professional N.

These versions of Windows are similar to the standard Windows Home and Student, Enterprise and Professional editions with all the basic features. However, they exclude multimedia features required by law.

What do users lose in Windows N and KN editions?

Producing Windows N and KN editions is not simply about removing Windows Media Player. When the underlying media specifications and playback features are removed, it means that some other applications will not work properly.

For example, many other Windows applications, from PC games to Microsoft Office, which rely on Windows' built-in video playback features, will not function properly. These applications will be affected and may even crash.

In Windows 10, for example, Windows Hello, Cortana, and the display of PDF en Microsoft Edge will not work. Additionally, media features in Windows Store apps may not work.

Nota: There is a detailed (but not complete) list of disabled features in Windows N and KN editions on the Microsoft website.

What is the solution for Windows N and KN editions?

Although the named features are disabled in Windows N and KN editions, it does not mean that they do not fully work in these versions of Windows. They are simply not pre-installed by default.

Microsoft has a free multimedia feature pack that restores these applications. If you want to enable the multimedia features disabled in Windows N or KN edition, you can download the free multimedia feature pack from the Microsoft website.

Similarly, it offers different download links for the free multimedia feature pack depending on the edition of Windows you need it for, for example, whether you need it for Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 10. The multimedia feature pack will re-enable all the disabled features.

Final thoughts

Whether you are going to buy the Windows N or KN version is entirely up to you. That means you will be accepting an edition of Windows that lacks some features and can potentially cause you problems in operations. If you have a choice, we recommend you avoid these Windows N and KN editions.

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