Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build for PC and Mobile

Microsoft Windows 10 made its debut a year ago where it promised free up gradation to all the computer system around the world either running on Windows 7 or 8 OS. At that time Microsoft even brought its own Insider build program wherein users used to get previews of new features and functionalities in order to improve the overall experience of new operating system. At present Microsoft has decided to kill the old Windows 10 Insider builds for once and all to put an end to this great system. In a post released online Microsoft official has made it clear that all the older Insider Preview build will simply stop working from 15th October.

Rebooting issue will resolved

A number of users have complained about their PC rebooting after every three hours since October 1. Therefore Microsoft has taken the decision to put all old Windows insider build out of action which will help in resolving the booting issue. But removing support from older builds will make them redundant which means PC will not boot up. So users will have to reinstall Windows either from the USB or DVD drive in order to get the computer system working again. A simple typing search into the Cortana search box will help you in checking the status of your old Insider Preview build.

How to check the status of the Windows Preview Build

Open up the Run Dialogue box then type winver.exe and press enter key on the keyboard. A small will appear on the screen showcasing the expiry date for your particular Windows Preview Build. If expiry doesn’t appear on the screen then simply note down the ‘OS Build’ number and check it out in the list provided on the Microsoft’s help forums which specially lists down the expiry dates for every Insider build.
How to install new Insider build version

This isn’t the first time Microsoft is expiring the older Insider builds. Furthermore updating to newer version of build is relatively simple and easy as users are simply required to go to the Setting app followed by Update & Security and finally give a click on Windows Update. Now give a click on the Check for Updates button and it will help in downloading the latest build for your computer.

Currently the Fast ring build no 14396 is the latest Windows 10 build which was launched on September 28th. This update for Windows 10 is dubbed as Redstone 2 which brings a variety of tweaks to the OS. Windows users will be able to hide app list on the Start Menu along with improved navigation in the Photos app, new Windows Update icon and improved gesture and click detection on touchpad. It also brought new Edge extensions and a number of general improvements and fixes have been made in the area of Narrator, app notification and personalization. Even this build also has a number of issues as it a Preview build and Redstone is expected to launch a year later in 2017.

Microsoft Windows 10 Free Upgrade

 

Microsoft’s Free Upgrades – Windows 10

Microsoft has recently announced that they will be offering free upgrades to Windows 10, the next version of its operating system, first for Windows 8.1 users and then for Windows 7. According to Microsoft’s executive vice president of operating systems, Terry Myerson, the company would be upgrading any devices running Windows 8 to Windows 10, for free, during the first year of availability of the software. This free upgrade would also be applicable for Window 7 devices as well as Windows Phone 8.1 devices.

The price of the software for the upgrade after the one year window is yet to be announced by the company. Myerson had stated during the unveiling event of Microsoft’s Windows 10 in Redmond, Wash, that they think Windows as a service and now developers could target every Windows device. It has been designed with a view in convincing consumers that Windows is worth the effort and Windows 10 is an attempt in clearing the slate clean after missteps with Windows 8 inclusive of the new start menu that drew complaints from users of PC who missed greatly the traditional menu.

Simple Upgrade Benefit Window 10 Adoption

Windows 7 is run by more than half of all desktops users in the world and around 20% still tend to run XP, which is a fourteen years old operating system. Windows 8.1 on the other hand is yet to reach 10 percent. Hardware companies have been giving away software upgrades in order to keep their users secured to their ecosystems, where Apple for instance has made Mac OS and iOS free together with several of its productivity as well as photo management tools.

A simple upgrade path would benefit Windows 10 adoption instead of dealing with a number of various versions of Windows and other upgrade cost where most of the consumers could take this free update and have the benefit of running the updated version of Microsoft. Myerson had also shared Microsoft’s vision for Windows as a service and not just an operating system, a major part of which is its new commitment in keeping devices reliably updated all through the `supported lifetime for the device’. This indicates that those upgrading from Microsoft’s earlier versions of Windows would be receiving updates constantly to keep it up-to-date as possible.

Enable Developers to Target Every Windows Device

Myerson also noted that it would enable developers to target every single Windows device, when they build apps and make it easier for them to reach more users which would be appreciated by the developers as well as the users. Michael Silver of Gartner stated at the research firm’s annual technology conference that `if Microsoft wants consumers to update and keep up-to-date it would mean that Microsoft is going to have to give those consumers those updates for free and there is no other way to do it.

 He further added that `a consumer would not be giving Microsoft a credit card and ask them to charge for a new release whenever one come out and it is very likely that consumer releases will be free’. This would be affecting Microsoft’s bottom line, and Windows 10 probably will be the nameplate for the OS for years much more than the usual three year cycle for major upgrades from Windows 7 to Windows 8, where free would mean that consumers would not have to pay to upgrade their PC’s operating system.

New Editions Enhances Sales

Constant free updates and upgrades would be putting the computer makers in a bind since generally they tend to rely on new editions to enhance sales especially to consumers. Silver’s debates that Windows 10 if not free itself, should offer free updates to consumers, came with some forty five minutes presentation where he together with his colleague, Stephen Kleynhans discussed on the future of Office and Windows before a standing room crowd at Gartner Symposium/.ITxpo 2014. The two placed Microsoft’s Windows 10 and Microsoft’s promise of steady stream of updates in the context for business which had shied from Windows 8 and is being urged back into the fold with promises that Windows 10 will be what its successor were not. Some of the queries raised by users are:

Will it run XP programs

Windows 10 would be running most of the old Windows programs where the compatibility could be checked by running GWX, the Get Windows 10 app. Microsoft does not have information with regards to every device or program for Windows though it has a comprehensive list of know issues on compatibility. XP programs not running Windows 7 could probably run in Windows 10.

 Free copy of Windows XP to run in XP mode in Windows 7 Pro is provided by Microsoft which gives many years of transition to updated programs though not intended as a permanent solution. Users could continue using XP in current Windows 7 system till 2020 at the user’s risk. Alternate option is that one can run XP in a virtual machine in Windows 10 or else use a separate XP PC which not connected to the net.

Why is it free

Microsoft is giving some money from the fairly small number of those who buy Windows upgrades and in return with a hope of getting more of them in using the same version of Windows instead of having a rough figure of 1.6 billion users spreading over Windows XP, Windows 7, Windows 8, Windows 8.1, Vista and Windows Phone.