If I enroll on Insiders, how easy is it to get off again?

Tombar · Feb 1, 2024

There seem to be lots of horror stories on here of people enrolling and not being able to unroll. Is unenrolling really that hard? Do you have to revert to installing a backp?

Bree · Feb 1, 2024

Tombar said:
Is unenrolling really that hard? Do you have to revert to installing a backp?

That depends on which Insider channel you chose, Release Preview, Beta, Dev, or Canary.

For Dev and Canary, once you leave Insiders the only way back to the public release build, known as the General Availability channel, is a clean install (or restore from a backup).

For the Release Preview channel, that one is never more than one or two cumulative updates ahead of the General Availability channel. You can leave Insiders and wait for GA to catch up.

It used to be that leaving the Beta channel required a clean install, but Microsoft have recently made it easier to leave.

Microsoft said:
Starting with today’s Beta Channel flight, Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel who have turned on the toggle to unenroll their device under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program and “Stop getting preview builds” with begin receiving an in-place upgrade that removes their device from flighting. This in-place upgrade will install Windows 11, version 23H2 with the most recent servicing updates available to retail customers. Please note that unenrolling a device from flighting in the Beta Channel will result in a loss of some features that are not yet available for retail customers. However, your personal data will still be there. Going forward, choosing to unenroll a device through this process will provide an in-place upgrade to opt-out of flighting in the Beta Channel. Note you will need to update to Build 22635.3130 (and higher) in the Beta Channel first for this experience to light up.

KB5034218 Windows 11 Insider Beta Build 22635.3130 (23H2) - Jan. 25

UPDATE 2/01: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/kb5034220-windows-11-insider-beta-build-22635-3139-23h2-feb-1.22097/ Windows Blog: Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3130 (KB5034218) to the Beta Channel. REMINDER: All Windows Insiders in the Beta...

www.elevenforum.com

Tombar · Feb 1, 2024

Bree said:
For the Release Preview channel, that one is never more than one or two cumulative updates ahead of the General Availability channel. You can leave Insiders and wait for GA to catch up.

It used to be that leaving the Beta channel required a clean install, but Microsoft have recently made it easier to leave.

Thanks, Bree, that’s very useful.
Just out of interest, how do I reply on here without a quote? I’ve not found a simple reply option

Berton · Feb 1, 2024

@Tombar
Not to step on Bree's toes, or head, all I do is scroll further down to get the dialog box for posting, like for this post.

This:

Tombar · Feb 1, 2024

Ah! You have to go below “Other people who are viewing this”!

You have to realise I’m old and my brain stopped working over a year ago!

Berton · Feb 1, 2024

Tombar said:
Ah! You have to go below “Other people who are viewing this”!

Yep.

allan · Feb 1, 2024

If you do sign up in an insider channel, make sure you have a disk image first.

Berton · Feb 1, 2024

I was on the Win10 Insider program for some time before deciding to leave it. Fortunately I took to heart the warning not to use it on the only computer or production computer and had it on a separate computer. When I left the program after the RTM/Released To Market/Manufacture I had to do a full/clean install of a licensed copy of Win10 to retain use of the computer.

Bree · Feb 1, 2024

Tombar said:
Thanks, Bree....

You're welcome....

Berton said:
I was on the Win10 Insider program for some time before deciding to leave it. Fortunately I took to heart the warning not to use it on the only computer or production computer and had it on a separate computer.

If you only have the one computer to use, then it may be better to try an Insider build as a native boot vhdx. This is by far the safest way to dual-boot as it makes no changes to your original install of Windows, bar adding a boot menu entry for the vhdx. If you want to remove it, then just delete the .vhdx file and the boot entry.

Native Boot Windows 11 Virtual Hard Disk (VHDX) Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to boot a Windows 11 VHDX file natively to dual boot with Windows 10 or Windows 11. Native Boot allows you to create a virtual hard disk (VHDX), install Windows to it, and then boot it up, either on your PC side-by-side with your existing installation, or on a...

www.elevenforum.com

I must admit, it's so easy to set up that I got a little carried away.... :lmao:

cereberus · Feb 1, 2024

Bree said:
That depends on which Insider channel you chose, Release Preview, Beta, Dev, or Canary.

For Dev and Canary, once you leave Insiders the only way back to the public release build, known as the General Availability channel, is a clean install (or restore from a backup).

For the Release Preview channel, that one is never more than one or two cumulative updates ahead of the General Availability channel. You can leave Insiders and wait for GA to catch up.

It used to be that leaving the Beta channel required a clean install, but Microsoft have recently made it easier to leave.

KB5034218 Windows 11 Insider Beta Build 22635.3130 (23H2) - Jan. 25

UPDATE 2/01: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/kb5034220-windows-11-insider-beta-build-22635-3139-23h2-feb-1.22097/ Windows Blog: Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3130 (KB5034218) to the Beta Channel. REMINDER: All Windows Insiders in the Beta...

www.elevenforum.com

Well, I just tried it (clean installed rtm version, and joined Beta) and then chose to leave Insider.

After clicking update and restarting a couple of times, it seems I am no longer connected to Beta but version number is still 22635.3139.

So it is not entirely clear to me if I will get normal updates now as release is 22621.3085.

edit: just received cumulative update KB5034204 which was for RTM, so it seems to be updating.

Feels like a bit of a kludge though.

I will see what happens when next RTM update comes out.

Perhaps it will sort itself out when next RTM major upgrade is released (24H2?).

Tombar · Feb 3, 2024

Bree said:
That depends on which Insider channel you chose, Release Preview, Beta, Dev, or Canary.

For Dev and Canary, once you leave Insiders the only way back to the public release build, known as the General Availability channel, is a clean install (or restore from a backup).

For the Release Preview channel, that one is never more than one or two cumulative updates ahead of the General Availability channel. You can leave Insiders and wait for GA to catch up.

It used to be that leaving the Beta channel required a clean install, but Microsoft have recently made it easier to leave.

KB5034218 Windows 11 Insider Beta Build 22635.3130 (23H2) - Jan. 25

UPDATE 2/01: https://www.elevenforum.com/t/kb5034220-windows-11-insider-beta-build-22635-3139-23h2-feb-1.22097/ Windows Blog: Hello Windows Insiders, today we are releasing Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 22635.3130 (KB5034218) to the Beta Channel. REMINDER: All Windows Insiders in the Beta...

www.elevenforum.com

Hi, I bravely/foo;hardedly enrolled on the beta channel and am now trying to unenroll for various reasons. If I follow Leave the program now, I get to a screen saying Sorry to see you go, but there is no button or link to actually go (see screenshot) and I go round in a cycle.
Currently 23H2 Build 22635.3139 - was 22H2 before enrolling.
If I go back to Settings/Windows Update/join Insiders, I get this second screen - does that mean I've somehow unenrolled (with no reinstallation of anything)? Or is it just a messed-up way of doing things?

cereberus · Feb 3, 2024

Tombar said:
Hi, I bravely/foo;hardedly enrolled on the beta channel and am now trying to unenroll for various reasons. If I follow Leave the program now, I get to a screen saying Sorry to see you go, but there is no button or link to actually go (see screenshot) and I go round in a cycle.
Currently 23H2 Build 22635.3139 - was 22H2 before enrolling.
If I go back to Settings/Windows Update/join Insiders, I get this second screen - does that mean I've somehow unenrolled (with no reinstallation of anything)? Or is it just a messed-up way of doing things?

Clue: Big Blue Button there "Stop Receiving Insider Builds" in your image?

Tombar · Feb 3, 2024

cereberus said:
Clue: Big Blue Button there "Stop Receiving Insider Builds" in your image?

You'd think, wouldn't you, but nothing visible happens when you do. I think I have unenrolled going by System/about and System/Activation but it would be nice if they TOLD you something had happened!

cereberus · Feb 3, 2024

Tombar said:
You'd think, wouldn't you, but nothing visible happens when you do. I think I have unenrolled going by System/about and System/Activation but it would be nice if they TOLD you something had happened!

I had to press check for updates and reboot a couple of times.

NormanF · Feb 18, 2024

People leave when they're on the final build number to avoid testing the next version of Windows.

Microsoft lets people know ahead of time the final build number so they can prepare to exit Insiders.

cereberus · Feb 18, 2024

NormanF said:
People leave when they're on the final build number to avoid testing the next version of Windows.

Microsoft lets people know ahead of time the final build number so they can prepare to exit Insiders.

As discussed many times, this does not apply to Dev or Canary, and only with Beta.