Update 7/15/2015 12:48PM: Microsoft released Build 10240 to Insiders just two hours after this article was posted. While some rumors still insist that it will be the RTM build, Microsoft has not called it such yet, and long-time Microsoft reporter Paul Thurrott says his sources indicate a different build will be the release edition.
You can read all about Build 10240 here.
Original Text: With just a short time before Windows 10 will roll out to the masses, Microsoft has to settle on a version of Windows 10 to use for the final version. Rumors have been swirling that point to build 10240 as the RTM version, and there are now screenshots of the aforementioned build that give those rumors a little more validation, and they come from Chinese tech blog ITHome.
The screenshots have some notable changes that make them different from the Insider previews we’ve become so familiar with. The watermark from the bottom right corner of the screen is now gone, as it will be for the final release. In addition, minor details like UI element colors and configurations, as well as version numbers, point to what others have said are the final version.
While it’s not confirmed that build 10240.16384 is the RTM version, some other information that’s come to light about the Windows 10 development branches also points to that build as being the final one, or at least a candidate.
Builds are part of different development branches, with the main distribution branch being “th1” or Threshold, the original codename for Windows 10, and the insider previews coming from “fbl_impressive.” After Microsoft suspended Insider previews, the fbl_impressive branch ended, and with 10240, the th1 branch ends as well. There are purported to be newer builds in the Windows 10 development cycle, but they all begin with 105, and are part of the th2 development branch. That’s a strong indicator that this is the RTM version of the OS.
It’s also rumored that on July 15th, that version will roll out to manufacturers, at which time there will almost certainly be confirmation on which build is the RTM. Th2 has the codename Redstone, and will be a major two-part update during the summer and fall of 2016. Between now and then, Microsoft will roll out regular updates and bugfixes just like always, and Insider previews will continue after the general release as well.
