Maybe a stupid question, but how is one's W10 licence activation affected by the Windows Insider program? Do the Insider builds use the existing licence? Is it possible to go back to the public release build cycle without a clean install?
The license is unaffected - the existing license is used.
If you want to go back to the public release cycle you have the following options:
- Restore back to the backup you made before joining insider program (you really should make one).
- Revert to previous build (as long as you have only upgraded once). Windows 10 - Go Back to Previous Windows - Windows 10 Forums
- Clean install public build (10586 currently).
- Wait until Anniversary edition. At this point the insider and public cycles become synchronised again and you can simply leave the program. At least this happened the last 2 times for 10240 and 10586. A week or so before the public release the insiders got the (exact same) build. You can tell when this happens as the watermark disappears.
You are most welcome. I would go for it - the latest insider builds are much better (I think). I don't have anything (except for a couple of VMs) on public cycle any more.
Thanks again. One other question, if I move to Insider Program, when the new Public build happens, will I have the option to install that, or am I stuck on the Insider program?
What has happened in the past is a week or so before the public build is released the insiders get it. So you upgrade to that.
At that point you can leave the program if you want. You are then on the public cycle with no need to re-install or restore anything.
As the next public release is scheduled for end of July (I think) that would mean you could make a backup now, switch to insider ring and upgrade through however many builds they release between now and then. In 6 weeks time you could leave the insider program and be back on the public cycle.
Assuming nothing goes wrong you'll not have to restore or clean install anything - just keep upgrading and then leave the program after the public and insider builds become synchronized again.
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