Internal build leaks to the web, can be installed by anyone

Dec 27, 2016 05:30 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has paused the Windows Insider program until early January, as the team is on holiday, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that Windows aficionados can’t have something new to test these days.

A new build leaked to the web a few hours ago, and it brings several changes, being close to build 15000, which is quite an important milestone for Windows and its users.

Windows 10 build 14997 is now available for download if you know where to look, because as usual, we can’t provide you with any links due to obvious reasons.

Additionally, don’t forget that this is an unofficial build and you aren’t recommended to install it unless you know exactly what you’re doing. Also, since it wasn’t officially released by Microsoft, it’s likely to include tons of bugs and performance issues, so it’s better to give it a try in a virtual machine.

Is it worth trying it?

As for new features, this build comes with improvements in the Settings app, but also with theming support, which is a thing that Microsoft has been playing with for several builds already. Windows 10 themes will be published in the Windows Store and will provide users with additional customization methods, and there’s a good chance that the next public build will come with these features as well.

Microsoft Edge is getting some new updates too, including more tab options, as Microsoft continues working on the browser in order to make it a better alternative to Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox.

This build is part of the “rs_onecore_base” branch, which is one of Microsoft’s internal rings, so it’s very clear that it was supposed to be tested by the company’s engineers before another build is compiled and released to users possibly boasting some features included here as well.

Don’t expect any new builds from Microsoft this week, as the Windows Insider program will be resumed in the first weeks of January, so 14997 is the one to try if you can’t wait till then.

Thanks for the tip, NecrosoftCore!