Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 10158 for PCs Insider

Wynona said:

'At's OK, ferrets and cats get along great! They even eat from the same food bowl. :) StarFerret'll have those pre-jurrasics in attack mode in no time at all. :)

Only one feline here and he's a real cuddle bug.

Must be kinda like a

BunnyJ said:

Not long.. unless it's 100% certain that we can go from the Preview to the GA then I don't need to reinstall WIn8.1. My understanding is that you can't do that.

Really? I must have missed something. I thought insiders didn't have to go back to W7/8.1... crud!

simrick said:

Really? I must have missed something. I thought insiders didn't have to go back to W7/8.1... crud!

There's been a huge flip flop on that.. it seems the best way is to go from Win8.1/Win7 to WIn10 which is what I'm going to do.

BunnyJ said:

There's been a huge flip flop on that.. it seems the best way is to go from Win8.1/Win7 to WIn10 which is what I'm going to do.

You know, that really sucks, to put it bluntly. You can't use a recovery partition, you have to reinstall or reimage.

The last I saw on the Insiders news said this:

Getting the final release on July 29th

Windows Insiders running the Windows 10 Insider Preview (Home and Pro editions) with their registered MSA connected to their PC will receive the final release build of Windows 10 starting on July 29th. This will come as just another flight. I’ve gotten a lot of questions from Windows Insiders about how this will work if they clean installed from ISO. As long as you are running an Insider Preview build and connected with the MSA you used to register, you will receive the Windows 10 final release build and remain activated. Once you have successfully installed this build and activated, you will also be able to clean install on that PC from final media if you want to start over fresh.

Wynona said:

The blog I read said there are 300 bug fixes in Build 10159, so I went for it. :)

Wow! That is a lot. Thanks for the info. Since 10158 seems to running great, I think I'll just stay with it for now and see if MS pushes out a new Build in a week or two.

simrick said:

Really? I must have missed something. I thought insiders didn't have to go back to W7/8.1... crud!

BunnyJ said:

There's been a huge flip flop on that.. it seems the best way is to go from Win8.1/Win7 to WIn10 which is what I'm going to do.

Please calm down geeks, have beverage of your choice and read the most official information available, that from Gabe Aul's blog post.

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An extract from that edited blog post:

The crux of it is this:

• Do you want to continue as a Windows Insider and keep getting preview builds after 7/29?
• Or do you want to upgrade your Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 system that has been getting Windows 10 Insider Preview builds to the 7/29 release and stop being an Insider?

“I want to continue as a Windows Insider!” If you want to continue as a Windows Insider past 7/29 there is nothing you need to do. You’re already opted in and receiving builds in the Fast or Slow ring depending upon your selection. This is prerelease software and is activated with a prerelease key. Each individual build will expire after a time, but you’ll continue to receive new builds so by the time an older prerelease build expires you’ll have received a new one. Since we’re continuing the Windows Insider Program you’ll be able to continue receiving builds and those builds will continue to be activated under the terms of the Windows Insider Program. We provide ISOs for these builds for recovery from any significant problems, but they are still pre-release software. As part of the program we’ll upgrade Insiders to what is for all intents and purposes the same build as what other customers will get on 7/29, but that will be just another build for Insiders, and those who stay in the program will simply get the next build after as well.

“I want to opt out of the Windows Insider Program on 7/29.” If you decide to opt-out of the program and upgrade to the 7/29 build you will be subject to exactly the same terms and conditions that govern the offer* that was extended to all Genuine Windows 7 and 8.1 customers. This is not a path to attain a license for Windows XP or Windows Vista systems. If your system upgraded from a Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license it will remain activated, but if not, you will be required to roll back to your previous OS version or acquire a new Windows 10 license. If you do not roll back or acquire a new license the build will eventually expire.

I have no fear, no doubts, no hurry. Worst case scenario: If the way I understand the above, as told below, is completely wrong, I can always revert back to Windows 7 SP1 or Windows 8.1 Update 1 on July 28th 2016 and get a license. One year is a long time, I find it a bit funny how users are almost in panic thinking they have to make their mind NOW!

But I think I will not need my worst case scenario plan B; because I want to stay as an Insider, I will continue to use an activated and valid Windows 10, which in my case means a clean installed last released build before the GA day, which will then be upgraded to first final version. It's like OEM install; as soon as I will continue using a computer, that computer will always have a valid and activated Windows 10.

I don't care if I get a product key for that computer or not. I don't need a product key, my Windows 10 will stay valid and active. However I am absolutely sure I will also get a valid product key to enter when I will have to do a clean reinstall from the ISO I made by myself from the ESD or from the one Gabe promises in his blog post.

My point: I am willing to bet with you guys that let's check the situation in one year from today, I am sure my clean installed, not upgraded Windows 10 is still valid, still activated, still going strong and will continue to do so, subject to the bloody machine not burning or becoming useless in another way. And, before you have time to say "A year, yes, but what about 3 years?", I want to publicly extend my bet offer and claim that yes, also in three or six or whatever years from now, subject to the PC still working, I will continue using my valid and activated, not from 7 or 8.1 upgraded Insider Windows 10.

Now get some more of that beverage of yours and read the above once again, staying calm and not panicking.

A serenely peaceful Kari