14901 expiring, 14931 unusable - how to remain an Insider on this PC?

I am running 14901 - which is more recent than the last Feature build of 14393 - then went onto the slow ring as the reports of many of the intervening Insider builds have been less than favourable.

Now that 14901 is warning that it will expire 02/10/2016, I returned to fast ring, and within a few days I was upgraded to 14931 -which is a problem, since the Graphics adapter driver for my onboard graphics (Gigabyte GA-G33M-S2, Core 2 Duo E4600. 6GB RAM, using onboard Intel g33/g31 express chipset family graphics) does not work properly, and the basic display adapter is a disaster, so I had to revert to 14901 to be able to use the machine fully.

In order to remain an Insider and continue to use this machine, must I revert to 14393, and stay on the release preview ring until such a time as this driver problem is fixed?

Fafhrd said:

I am running 14901 - which is more recent than the last Feature build of 14393 - then went onto the slow ring as the reports of many of the intervening Insider builds have been less than favourable.

Now that 14901 is warning that it will expire 02/10/2016, I returned to fast ring, and within a few days I was upgraded to 14931 -which is a problem, since the Graphics adapter driver for my onboard graphics (Gigabyte GA-G33M-S2, Core 2 Duo E4600. 6GB RAM, using onboard Intel g33/g31 express chipset family graphics) does not work properly, and the basic display adapter is a disaster, so I had to revert to 14901 to be able to use the machine fully.

In order to remain an Insider and continue to use this machine, must I revert to 14393, and stay on the release preview ring until such a time as this driver problem is fixed?

I have Version 1607 Build 14931 working fine on a Dell Optiplex 755 but had the same video problem with the onboard Intel Q35 and also on a Dell Inspiron 530S with the Intel G33/G31 onboard adaper. I was able to Disable the video adapter in Device Manager and use the default Microsoft driver but it didn't look good. I found a recovered ATI Radeon 2400 HD PCIe card for the Optiplex in my parts box and it fixed the problem. I'll have to check my saved parts box to see if I have a Low-Profile card for the Inspiron, or maybe just junk it as it has the bulged capacitor problem with 2 of them, although it's been running that way as my Insider Preview machine for close to 2 years now. The main issue with the Q35 and G33/G31 is no drivers for them. It's kinda strange as both computers worked fine with Version 1607 Build 14901 and 14905, problems set in with Build 14915 and later. It may be that Microsoft is deleting support for older devices as new builds come out. Unfortunately for the consumers that is just furthering the "planned obsolence" thing, cause buying new equipment for relatively minor issues.

Thanks for your reply Berton. As you say, the probable saviour will be a PCIe graphics card. I'll ask around for something relatively cheap, since I have no need for high end graphics, but with some degree of future-proofing.

It's still crazy that the G33/G31 drivers still work with traditional Windows programs, but the lock screen, login, Start and some tiles, Settings, and the new UAC dialog, and anything that uses the "modern" Windows 10 windows is just like a bad, unfinished Mondrian Painting :



In the 3rd image, Chrome browser is perfectly usable, and clear, though the Settings window overlying it is corrupted.

For that reason, I guess that the problem lies in the way that "modern" windows are painted to the screen, rather than the graphics driver being bad. It may even get fixed!

I could just disable the Intel driver, to revert to Basic Display Adapter at any time, if I ever wanted to use the modern interface. I also have multiboot, and the Anniversary Update on another partition, so the machine is not totally unusable.

Your images show the exact problem I was having. The only problem with the 'basic' driver is I couldn't get the 1440x900 resolution setting, best was 1280x1024 but things were a bit skewed. I want to keep the 1440x900 as I have 4 computers connected to a KVM, 1 Keyboard, 1 Video [monitor] and 1 Mouse and prefer some commonality.

Righty-ho, I've installed a PCIe Nvidia GeForce 9500GT, and it's working fine and dandy with Version 341.96 drivers in 14901, which I had rolled back to. The C:\$WINDOWS.~BT\sources\install.esd (14391) seems to have been corrupted and boot.wim is missing, and won't install. I'm still on Fast ring.

How's the best way to force the 14931 update to download again, does anyone know?

Delete C:\$WINDOWS.~BT and reset Windows update store perhaps?

Nothing to lose there, I may as well do that!

Check for updates, reboot, check for updates, nada, but apparently according to Dona 14396 is due. ( I don't like the look of her puppies though, I prefer her ninja!)

The 14396 wasn't available when checked a bit over 4 hours ago [me either, was out of town] but is downloading now.

Started downloading here at about 19:55, I then went and made some supper, and I was installed and running about an hour ago - all running OK on the GeForce 9500 GT, as expected. Attachment 103581
Yesterday I ordered an Asus NVIDIA Gt 710 2 GB Passive Cooling Pci-E Graphics Card from Amazon for £29.99, which should arrive in a few days time.

So I'd mark this thread "workaround" if I could, but otherwise, solved.

I'll see if the Intel drivers work with this build in a day or so, before I swap the new card in. Thanks for the support, Berton