Microsoft sets Windows 10 build expiration date, upgrade to new builds is mandatory

by Madalina Dinita
Madalina Dinita
Madalina Dinita
Windows & Software Expert
Madalina has been a Windows fan ever since she got her hands on her first Windows XP computer. She is interested in all things technology, especially emerging technologies... read more
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Windows 10 build 14926 brought an important change to the way Insiders use Windows 10 builds. More specifically, starting with the current build, all Windows 10 builds will sport an expiration date which means Insiders will have to upgrade to the latest builds before the old one expires in order to avoid technical issues.

In other words, when an old build expires, Microsoft will make it stop working completely, forcing you in a way to run the latest builds. This is not necessarily a bad thing, since new builds are usually more stable and feature-rich, but many Insiders may feel that Microsoft is once again imposing its will on them. The tech giant used a similar strategy when trying to convince users to upgrade to Windows 10, and this approach generated much criticism from users.

If you’re running an older build, you still have time to upgrade to the latest Windows 10 build version. If you don’t upgrade, starting from October 1, your system will automatically boot every three hours. At the same time, an upgrade window – does it sound familiar? – will keep reminding you a newer build is available and will invite you to install it.

Actually, Insiders running really old builds have already received upgrade notifications:

[…] PCs running really old Insider Preview builds will start to see build expiration notifications once a day. Then on October 1st, these PCs will start rebooting every 3 hours and then on October 15th – these PCs will stop booting all together. If your PC is running one of these old Insider Preview builds, please make sure you update to Build 14926 via Settings > Update & security > Windows Update.

If you don’t upgrade by October 15, your system won’t boot anymore. As a quick reminder, the most recent Windows 10 build expires on May 1, 2017. Insiders running the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, Build 14393, in the Slow and Release rings today are not concerned about these build expiration notifications.

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