Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 14915 for PC and Mobile Insider

I think folks have to be grown up about the Insider Program.

There Are Fast, Slow and Preview rings, and the ability to stop altogether or take a timeout, and if you have started to understand how the update process works, various ways to delay or prevent installations of new builds. So much is under control of the user.

You are under no obligation to send feedback, although it can help you to report your problem, and send system information at the instance your problem occurs, together with a screenshot of what your see.

However user feedback only reports the outward signs of a problem, and the reporting is subjective, and often imprecise because the observers are not in full knowledge of the underlying systems and problems.

Just by running the Previews on your devices, Windows Error Reporting is sending telemetry back to Microsoft, and in the case of problems "under the hood" - equivalent to auto engine misfires - the presence of known bugs and the way their presence is shown, on systems that are made up of different components shows the developers how to write bulletproof code.

There was a Sysinternals utility called NotMyFault, which could be called to crash the system at will - thus presenting a BSOD and crashdump on demand.

No doubt some of the bugs in Preview builds are there in order to create snapshots of processes that are not always behaving as expected, and the WER telemetry will allow observation of these processes at their point of failure.

Kari said:

Although I now had to go back to previous build, I must say I disagree a bit. My issue is a typical example why we have Fast and Slow rings; if you are not willing to risk using Fast Ring finding it too unstable, you can opt in to Slow Ring.

. . .What he said. . .:)

BunnyJ said:

Think back a bit and when Gabe said that the builds would come much faster there would be more bugs in them. So.,. we were well warned about this and now it's happening.

1 Faster builds
2 More Bugs..


3 Remedy,, get out of the fast lane if you don't like the idea of having all of these bugs??

Fafhrd said:

To push the metaphor to the (speed) limit, upgrade your Wipers and Screenwash, and your Windows will sparkle like new.

cereberus said:

I fully accept there are risks. My gripe is that GLARING bugs get through eg the power button failing on 14905. Now we have issues with personalisation menu etc. These were working fine before but they got broken. My gripe is MS know about this but still issue the release.

This is not justifiable in my opinion. Telling people like me to get out of the Fast Lane is not the answer. Even as Insiders we should expect a reasonable level of quality and service. I believe MS are failing to meet that now.

IMO, we should feedback to MS that they need to raise their game - I am certainly going to do so.

*cough* "A reasonable level of quality and service" is certainly applicable to *retail, consumer releases*--which Insider builds are *not*. The Insider's program distributes strictly *beta* software, in two flavors of bugs. Fast channel = most buggy. Slow channel = least buggy. But both are going to have some bugs. Both are beta releases. Neither is retail, consumer release level software. Insider program participation is voluntary. You don't sign up unless you know what you're getting into and choose to get into it. It is not related to or a part of the consumer-level, retail releases of Windows 10--of which there have only been *three* total in the last two years: builds 10240, 1511, 1607.

The Insider's program is not for everyone--it is not a consumer-release update channel! Inside the the Insider's, the "fast channel" is not for everyone, all the time--but there's a "slow channel" if you are adverse to petty and annoying bugs. Microsoft has spelled this out since day 1 and I am surprised to see folks still confused about it.

From 10/1/2014 I was on the fast channel until the 1607 consumer, retail release. I'm taking a much-needed break from the whirlwind...! For awhile. I'll get back on the Fastlane when something more interesting develops...

Seriously, though, if you are not into bugs--and sometimes annoying, frustrating, hair-pulling bugs--then drop down to the slow channel. And if that is still too risque and wild for you, drop out of the Insider's program altogether. Stick with 1607 and the regular 1607 retail cumulative updates until such time as you feel you might want to start beta testing again. If you feel like an "unpaid bug tester" for Microsoft then it is clearly time for you to get out of the Insiders program altogether, imo, because you are mistaking this beta-testing program with Microsoft's regular consumer-level retail releases. A lot of people seem to think that being in the Insider's is what you have to do to run Windows10! The two are *not* related.

Picture a conversation between Sergio Marchionne and Mario Andretti:

Sergio:
"Hey Mario, why don't you come on over and check out our latest Ferrari Spider build. It's totally new and has a bunch of the latest features that folks will go mad for!
One thing though, we realize that the windows won't roll up and we're not sure if the wheels will fall off or not, but, why don't you try it out for a couple weeks and tell us what you think"?

Mario:
"Ah..., naw! Tell you what; you get those issues remedied and I'd be glad to take it for a spin"

(I'm sure you get the point!)

Kari said:

Edwin, I don't get your point, or rather I don't agree with it: Windows 10 Insider builds have some minor bugs but nothing that can be compared for a car losing its wheels.

I just think MS could have and should have fixed the Color Setting issue before they shoved this Build out the door.