The last few weeks have been very busy in the Windows as a Service (WaaS) world. Now that the Windows 10 April 2018 Update is available for download, it is time to move forward with the testing of Redstone 5 (RS5). Over the last few months Windows 10 RS5 has been in limited testing as part of the Windows Insiders Skip Ahead ring.
A total of nine Skip Ahead builds have been made available for early RS5 testing since mid February.
Yesterday on Twitter Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar, head of the company’s Windows Insider Program, set the stage for expanding Windows 10 RS5 testing.
#WindowsInsiders: if you don’t want to start receiving RS5 builds, you should switch to Release Preview TODAY. Both WIP Fast and Slow will see RS5 builds….why, yes, SOON ™ pic.twitter.com/I9oHGDNIyq
— Dona Sarkar (@donasarkar) May 2, 2018
Obviously, this means Windows Insiders need to change their settings and do so very quickly. The risk of not sorting out or verifying your Windows Insider settings could result in your recently installed Windows 10 April 2018 Update being over written.
Taking Action
If you do not want to get early builds of Windows 10 RS5 then you have a couple of choices to make with the options at Windows Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program:
- Unenroll the device from the Windows Insider Program. No reinstall of Windows 10 will be necessary since we are still in the magic window between development cycles.
- Move the device into the Slow Ring. In past development cycles it takes some time before testing builds are released into this ring. This gives you time to decide about testing Windows 10 RS5 on a particular device.
- Opt into the Release Preview Ring. OS builds do not get pushed in to this ring until very late in the development cycle so it is a safe ring in these early testing stages. In addition, you will gain access to previews of many inbox apps throughout the development cycle.
For myself I currently have two devices in the Windows 10 RS5 Skip Ahead Ring and they will remain there. According to Sakar, the Skip Ahead and Fast Rings will be getting the same builds. That means whether you are in Skip Ahead or Fast – you will not lose out on testing updates by being in either of these rings.
The remainder of my test devices will be in Release Preview. This allows me to see inbox app updates before they are broadly available but stay on the Windows 10 April 2018 Update.
There are two likely windows, no pun intended, on any given day that Microsoft could push new builds based on past releases. Those open around 1 PM and 6 PM Eastern Time. So where ever you are in the world, make your decision well before that to be in the right place when the builds come out.
Otherwise, backing out of Windows 10 RS5 will mean a full clean install.
