14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has mistakenly offered an internal Windows 10 build to users in the Windows Insider program ring.
Windows 10 build 18947, which hasn’t passed internal validation to be pushed to insiders, was shipped via Windows Update to all rings in Microsoft’s testing program.
While originally it looked like the release targeted 32-bit systems only, users on reddit claim they received the same surprising build on 64-bit machines as well.
Build no longer up for grabs
Microsoft explains in a statement that the blunder was caused by a so-called “configuration change” that allowed the build to be released to external rings. In other words, it was only supposed to be pushed to internal rings where Microsoft engineers could test this build, but it eventually made it to public testers as well.
“We actively test and validate each of our preview builds internally before sharing them externally, however a configuration change allowed this build to release to multiple rings simultaneously, including external rings,” the company notes in a Microsoft Community post where it also shared instructions on how to roll back for users who installed this build.
“We have made the necessary remediation in our Flighting service and have implemented additional changes to help prevent from this happening in the future. We apologize for any troubles this may have caused for affected Insiders and appreciate your assistance in bringing this to our attention so we could make the necessary changes as quickly as possible.”
The build is no longer available for download from Windows Update, and Microsoft tells insiders to avoid installing it, especially if the update is currently pending.
There’s no ETA right now as to when a new build should ship, but I expect one to go live next week given that in the next few days Microsoft engineers are likely to be busy fixing this blunder.