Skip to main content

Old Windows 10 preview builds won’t boot if particpants fail to upgrade

microsoft windows 10 anniversary update current branch business released windows10
Matti Mattila/Flickr
In addition to announcing the launch of Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14926 on Wednesday, Windows Insider program lead Dona Sarkar provided a warning to Fast Ring participants who are holding on to older preview builds of Windows 10: upgrade or else.

Microsoft deems these releases as evaluation copies with expiration dates so participants don’t think they get a free copy of Windows 10 to use indefinitely. Starting Thursday, Microsoft plans to get really aggressive about pushing participants into updating their machines to the latest Windows Insider build.

According to Sarkar, “really old” copies of Insider Preview builds from the Fast Ring will begin pushing expiration notifications to users each day. When October 1 arrives, these PCs will start rebooting every three hours. While that sounds completely annoying, Microsoft’s aggressive plan gets even worse on October 15: the affected PCs will stop booting altogether. This aggressive push to spur upgrades does not apply to the Slow and Release Preview rings sporting Preview Build 14393.

“If your PC is running one of these old Insider Preview builds, please make sure you update to Build 14926 via Settings > Update & security > Windows Update. Build 14926 has an updated expiration date of May 1, 2017,” Sarkar said.

The whole point of the Windows Insider program is to provide feedback to Microsoft so the company can release and maintain a stable, feature-rich operating system. Forcing participants to upgrade to the latest build is understandable from a piracy standpoint, and if participants aren’t comfortable with the shaky builds in the Fast Ring, they can always switch to the other two less-risky models. Participating in the Windows Insider program is free, bvut it does not provide indefinite access to Windows 10.

In addition to the warning, Sarkar also said that Windows Insiders can take advantage of Microsoft Rewards. It’s basically the company’s renamed rewards program (formerly Bing Rewards) that offers points for browsing the Internet with Microsoft Edge, shopping in the Microsoft and Windows Stores, using Bing to search the Internet, and more. Even on Preview Builds, Insiders can rack up the points and redeem them for Xbox or Windows gift cards.

“As your points rack up, so do your opportunities to get great rewards,” Microsoft says in an FAQ. “We make it simple to track progress toward anything you’ve got your eye on, including gift cards, sweepstakes, and donations to charity.”

The latest Insider Preview, 14926, is available now for both the PC and Mobile. It follows 14915 for both platforms, which was released on August 31, and 14905, released on August 17. Microsoft is ever so slowly adding new features to Windows 10 here and there, such as the new “Snooze” action for Microsoft Edge. Perhaps when later builds start piling on the new features, participants will be more willing to let go of older Insider Preview builds.

Editors' Recommendations

Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Windows 11 now no longer lets you use the old Windows 10 Start Menu
The new windows 11 start menu.

Changes to the Start Menu have been the most noticeable and controversial feature of Microsoft's new Windows 11 operating system. But in the early builds of Windows 11, retrieving the old Windows 10 Start Menu was always just a few clicks in Settings away. According to the changes made in the latest version of Windows 11, however, that's no longer the case.

The shift happened in the second build of the Windows 11 beta software, which is now available through the Windows Insider program. Among other notable changes to the Start Menu, Microsoft has apparently removed the option from Settings entirely, leaving you with the bright and shiny new Start Menu whether you like it or not. And yes, that means there's no option for left-aligning the Taskbar either.

Read more
Microsoft releases the first major Windows 11 preview build
White Windows 11 Logo in front of blue background.

As promised, Microsoft has released the first major Windows 11 preview build to the Windows Insider Dev channel for beta testing. This preview version of Microsoft's next-generation operating system comes with many of the new features showcased last week at the company's June 24 event, as well as some new ones.

Along with the big redesign of the Start Menu and Action Center, the other major change in this first preview is the new notification center. It now has more fluently designed quick toggles for Wi-Fi and brightness.

Read more
Here’s why Windows 11 will probably be a free upgrade from Windows 10
The new centered Windows 10 Start Menu with a red and black background

You probably heard by now, but Windows 11 is coming. It was originally supposed to be revealed during Microsoft's June 24 "what's next for Windows" event, but the secret was leaked early. You can now install an unofficial preview version of it if you want, though we would not recommend doing so.

That means there are all kinds of questions about the cost of Windows 11, and how you can end up getting it once things become official. We're here to help, with a look at why we think Windows 11 will probably be a free upgrade.

Read more