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With the Windows Insider Programme, you receive new versions and updates to the Windows operating system at an early stage. What is behind the programme and when it makes sense to participate is explained in this article.
What is the Windows Insider Programme?
Before the launch of Windows 10, Microsoft released some pre-release versions for testing. For some time now, the operating system has been on the market and is constantly being further developed. The Insider Programme has been maintained and can be used by every Windows 10 user.
- Microsoft distributes new development statuses as so-called Insider Builds to the participants of the programme. This happens at intervals of several days to weeks via the Windows Update function.
- If you want to become a Windows Insider, you have to register once. To do this, you need a Microsoft account. With this account, you must be logged into your Windows 10 at Microsoft. Offline accounts are not supported by the Insider Programme.
- Finally, activate the Insider features in the system settings under “Update and Security”. You also select the Insider group, also called the ring, that you want to belong to. There is a Fast Ring in which you will immediately receive all new updates and patches, no matter how buggy they are. The Slow Ring delivers more stable updates with fewer bugs, but the distribution intervals are longer. Finally, there is the “Release Preview” group, in which you receive the next finished Windows version for preview. In this group, most of the bugs have been fixed.
- Insider builds are provided as upgrade installations. Your old installation is virtually packed up and moved to a “windows.old” folder. Then the new version will be installed.
- As an Insider, you are invited to send extensive feedback to Microsoft. With this, you express positive or negative criticism of new functions, operating elements or performance. For this purpose, there is an extra feedback app.
By the way, you can already test the new Windows 11 with the Windows Insider Programme. The new operating system is scheduled for release in autumn 2021. If you don’t want to wait that long, try the pre-release version of Windows 11 for free. - However, you should be aware that this is really only a pre-release version. Bugs are certainly still present and the test version is also not complete. If you use your PC for work, Windows 11 via the Windows Insider Programme is therefore not recommended.
What will the Windows Insider Programme do for me?
With the Insider Programme, Microsoft makes new Windows versions available to a wide range of users at an early stage. This was previously reserved for developers only.
- You regularly receive pre-release versions and can test new functions extensively. You can take a critical look at changes in operation, stability or speed even before the next official Windows version is rolled out.
- This gives you an early insight into the direction in which the journey with Windows 10 is heading.
- Your feedback can influence the development of the operating system to a certain extent. Critical feedback from many insiders has already led to planned features being withdrawn or extensively changed. The current design of the folder icons, for example, is a result of the Windows Insider Programme.
Are there any disadvantages to being an Insider?
There are a few not insignificant sticking points with the Windows Insider Programme. Before you decide to participate, you should be aware of them.))
- Depending on the ring you choose, an update can sometimes be quite buggy. In the simplest case, you have to undo the installation of a failed build. In the worst case, you may have to set up Windows again. This costs time and nerves.
- Microsoft needs as much information as possible from its beta testers about the currently distributed programme status. This is not only done via the feedback app. In an Insider build, countless telemetry functions are also active that constantly send information and data to Microsoft. This can even extend to the recording of keystrokes.
You should therefore never activate the Insider programme in your productive environment, with which you work every day and in which Microsoft could tap your data unnoticed. Instead, use a virtual machine, such as Virtualbox or VMWare Workstation Player. This runs separately from your normal Windows and has no access to your files.
