Windows 10 Insider Preview

The Windows Insider program is created by Microsoft to allow regular users to take the latest Windows features for a spin before an official iteration is released. Thus, anyone with a high level of curiosity can become part of the Insider community and share their experience, offer suggestions and report bugs, helping the development team to design a better OS for everyone.

The Windows 10 Insider Preview does not differ fundamentally from the latest Windows 10 commercial release, so you will be able to see the same start menu, the same desktop environment, and use the same pre-installed applications. Cortana provides guidance during setup and can be used as a personal assistant afterward.

From one release to another, the Windows 10 Insider Preview addresses issues identified by the community and brings to the table new features and enhancements that are first available to the Windows Insiders. Microsoft occasionally organizes Bug Bashes, sending its Insiders on a quest to find bugs and issues in Windows.

There are multiple so-called "rings" in the Insider Preview program. The Fast ring obtains the new builds the fastest, so they get to experiment with the latest features first, at the expense of a Windows environment that is prone to bugs. The releases are then shipped to the Slow ring and subsequently to the Release Preview ring.

Aside from a standard version, Windows 10 Insider Preview is also available in other additional editions, each designed for a specific type of users. The Enterprise edition targets large and midsize organizations, the Home edition can meet the needs of regular consumers, while the Insider Preview Educational is fit for students and other users in an academic environment. Registration is required to get the latest download files for any of the above Insider Preview versions.

Downloads for the Windows 10 Insider Preview are usually available as ISO files, which can be deployed either in a virtual machine or used to create bootable USB drives. Microsoft recommends you to avoid installing Preview builds on a home or a business PC, as such Windows iterations are unstable, still in the testing phase and might experience crashes. Even if you decide to go against this advice, please remember to create backups of your data beforehand.

In case you want to return to your previous Windows version, please note that the recovery partition of the OS cannot be used once an Insider Preview build is deployed. In other words, you will have to re-install Windows either using an installation media or a recovery media you created prior to installing the Preview build.

The Insider Preview program provides access to exciting new features that will be available to the public in the next official Windows release. It allows the most curious users to get a glimpse at the newest Windows functions while building a solid community ready to contribute to creating a better experience for future consumers.