More Windows 10 Builds Coming to the Slow Ring as Part of Redstone 5

Microsoft is making a series of changes to the way it ships preview builds to Windows insiders, planning to release updates at a faster cadence to users enrolled in the Slow ring.

At this point, the Windows Insider program comes down to four different rings. First, it’s Skip Ahead, which typically receives new builds ahead of everyone else when the development of a specific Windows update comes to an end and Microsoft begins work on the next version.

Then, there are the Fast and Slow rings which get early and more stable builds, respectively, and last, there’s Release Preview which only receives updates ahead of public launches.

With the Redstone 5 update coming in the fall, Microsoft wants to bring Fast and Slow rings closer together, as the latter has previously received new builds at a rather slow pace. So beginning with RS5, Microsoft wants users enrolled in this ring to get the same builds as the Fast channel but with more refinements.

Beta testing channel

A report from Neowin reveals that the plan comes down to shipping a new build to the Fast ring first and then, depending on the found issues and the feedback, to push the same build to the Slow ring, with or without updates to correct potential problems. Small revisions could be reflected in the version number of the build pushed to the Slow ring. Basically, Microsoft wants to convert Fast ring to the alpha testing stage, while Slow would become a beta testing channel. This should help the company identity more bugs and polish new updates before they are being shipped to production machines.

While Microsoft hasn’t provided an ETA as to when this new approach could be embraced, it should come into effect as part of Redstone 5 development work. Redstone 5 is projected to launch in the fall, and preview builds are already being shipped to insiders in the Skip Ahead and Fast rings.