Windows 10 Insider Preview no longer receiving Preview Builds

[Ketchup]

So, right now I am on Windows 10, build 10240. It gets Windows updates just like any other version of Windows 10. When I try to check for newer builds, I get this:

I checked insider hub, and it shows that I have been a member since 10/1/14, and it says that this is the latest build. I tried to stop getting insider builds and restart it, but it throws me the same error.

I downloaded the copy available on the insider web site and tried an upgrade install. That resulted in the same problem.

Has anyone else run into this? I am glad I still have a free build of 10, and the license says I am still good, just can't try out the new things anymore.

 

[JackMDS]

http://www.computerworld.com/articl...nsiders-to-stop-using-windows-10-preview.html

 

[Ketchup]

So Jack, does that article make 100% sense to you? I am not quite seeing it, maybe just because I am not in the group the article is directed to.

This is a VM that was started with the first preview, obtained when I joined the Insider program last year. It has been activated for the duration. It currently does not show a watermark, which I understand to be normal for this build. It receives normal Windows updates without issue, just not preview builds.

 

[Steltek]

So Jack, does that article make 100% sense to you? I am not quite seeing it, maybe just because I am not in the group the article is directed to.

This is a VM that was started with the first preview, obtained when I joined the Insider program last year. It has been activated for the duration. It currently does not show a watermark, which I understand to be normal for this build. It receives normal Windows updates without issue, just not preview builds.

I think that actually is the problem. I've seen the same thing on my standalone VM that I created identically to how you did. It remains activated, but is locked on 10240 despite the fact that it has always been registered and set up for the fast ring Windows insider update builds.

Because we didn't upgrade an existing valid Windows installation with the Insider build, it isn't going to let our VMs go any further with insider builds as Microsoft believes (and, at least in my case, knows with absolute certainty) that we don't have a legal Windows license underlying the VM install. They are just being polite about it for now and not terminating the activation.

Eventually, I suspect the Windows activation on the install in both of our VMs will expire at some point (probably in or after 07/16, if I had to guess).

Had you used the preview to upgrade a valid Windows license and then signed up for the Insider program, I think you'd already have received the 10532 insider build update.

 

[Puffnstuff]

How much better is the insider update than the regular version? I see the get started button but I'm not willing to take a chance on it.

 

[Ketchup]

Makes sense, just never had it explained to me this way. Did Microsoft ever say at the forefront that the Windows 10 insider program would have to be an upgrade in order to continue past a certain point (besides in this article)?

The only real difference is that the Insider build gets faster updates to new builds (which will have bugs), and provides the fear that it will just not being activated one day, for no particular reason.

 

[JackMDS]

Makes sense, just never had it explained to me this way. Did Microsoft ever say at the forefront that the Windows 10 insider program would have to be an upgrade in order to continue past a certain point (besides in this article)?

The only real difference is that the Insider build gets faster updates to new builds (which will have bugs), and provides the fear that it will just not being activated one day, for no particular reason.

There were discussions about it for the last two months.

A lot of speculation and No clear answer.

My speculation is that the General Insider installing Keys were circulating all over the Internet and at a certain point they decided to start
"dishing" out the Final keys to avoid this new forum of ""Pirating"".

Here is ab example of the issue discussed a while ago.

http://www.anandtech.com/show/9395/windows-10-insider-activation-update-part-2

 

[Ketchup]

So basically, once 10 came out, you had to meet the same elligibility as any other computer with the free upgrade offer. Considering how much data they are collecting off these (which they told us they were), there is no good reason they couldn't have kept these free.

 

[Steltek]

How much better is the insider update than the regular version? I see the get started button but I'm not willing to take a chance on it.

All it does is gives you the chance to try out updates and new features ahead of general release. Not something you'd want to do on an important system, because it might trash your system.

Basically, it makes you a Microsoft Windows 10 beta tester.

 

[Ketchup]

Yeah. That is the main reason it went on a VM.

 

[Steltek]

So basically, once 10 came out, you had to meet the same elligibility as any other computer with the free upgrade offer. Considering how much data they are collecting off these (which they told us they were), there is no good reason they couldn't have kept these free.

Pretty much, yeah. They just let everybody install the beta releases so we'd do their troubleshooting for them free of charge and spread the publicity for them. They then let us keep using it for a while so as to limit the possibility of any bad press ruining their party. Now, since the product is reasonably well received and has reached critical mass, they'll start putting limits on things and cutting people off because they don't need you any more. All those gray areas will begin to fill in, all in Microsoft's favor of course...

With Microsoft (or any other for-profit corporation answerable to shareowners, for that matter) "free" is always a relative and fluid thing as you obviously well know. They'll have to make back their investment somehow, and as of today they have 75 million plus people now using Windows as a service (most of whom would never have considered such a thing previously) with Microsoft data-mining their rears for all it is worth. A few, such as yourself, will be concerned with privacy. Most won't pay any attention and will let Microsoft do anything they want.

Personally, I'll just stick with Linux for my free stuff - at least I pretty much always know what I'm getting there.

I've also pretty much decided I'm not going to bother with Win10 on my machines. Too many gray areas, too many unanswered questions. I might still have done it, but taking away my right to block updates was THE killer for me. I simply depend too much on my machine to have Microsoft destabilizing it at will every time they decide I need a broken update to fix something that isn't broken on my machine.

 

[MrTransistorm]

A lot of speculation and No clear answer.

That sentence describes Windows 10 to a T.

 

[ArisVer]

I just tried to update the RTM release and the build 10532 showed up alongside some updates. This is on a dual boot with Windows 8.1 (not a VM) which I haven't turned on for a month.

The error code says it's a BitLocker error from this old thread.

https://social.technet.microsoft.co...-upcoming-builds?forum=WinPreview2014Feedback

 

[Whisper2]

I am running an activated Win 10 on my daily hardware. I originally updated this install from 8.1 and then did a clean install. I also have a Win 10 10532 Insider build on another disk in the same system that is also activated. I started the Insider program with a clean install when the first build was released last Oct. I installed all the other builds via Win Update.

I keep the two installs from screwing up each other by disabling in the BIOS the Insider disk or my two normal-use disks. The two installs have never met.

I have no clue what the rules are any more.

 

[MongGrel]

Not really sure myself.

I have two WIN X's running atm, the HTPC is still running the release version and I've let the main I beta'd on keep running it and its upgraded to 10532.

I would imagine because I didn't beta with the HTPC, even though I used my insider to upgrade it later.

They have a list running at MS I imagine.

 

[MongGrel]

http://www.computerworld.com/articl...nsiders-to-stop-using-windows-10-preview.html

That would make sense if it was possible to try to use the later versions without validation.

I've gotten 10532 probably because I all ready had it validated prior to 10240 I imagine on the main.

 

[Steltek]

I got 10532 on one of my virtual machines today. The evaluation version watermark is back (which was expected per the Computerworld article link as it was a clean install and not based upon an updated Windows install). It was also activated well before 10240 went RTM.