This tutorial will show you how to turn on or off stop getting Insider preview builds of Windows 11 on your Windows 11 PC.
Flighting is the process of running Windows Insider Preview Builds on your device. When you run these early versions of Windows and give Microsoft feedback, you can help Microsoft shape the future of Windows. Once you've registered for the Windows Insider Program, you can run Insider Preview builds on as many devices as you want, each in the channel of your choice.
Starting April 24, 2026, Microsoft is beginning to move to the new Experimental and Beta channels as announced earlier this month. As a reminder, most Insiders, those who are in the Dev and Beta channels today will transition to the new channels over time as follows:
- Beta Channel > Beta
- Dev Channel > Experimental
- Canary Channel 28000 series > Experimental (26H1)
- Canary Channel 29500 series > Experimental (Future Platforms)
While Beta Channel Insiders can generally expect a similar experience after this transition, some may notice feature changes. Although these feature differences will be minor, users who are looking for the best continuity of all existing features should consider moving from the existing Beta Channel to Dev Channel, in preparation for the move to Experimental. For most Insiders, picking the Beta or Experimental channel will be all you need to get set up, but for those who want to go further, we are adding an advanced option to pick your Windows core version compatible with your hardware. Most users will see these options as 25H2 or 26H1 builds. While users can still move from Beta to Experimental after the changes are implemented on your device, moving beforehand ensures the best continuity of experience for those features.
The Experimental channel will also contain a further Future Platforms option which is our earliest preview build for Windows and is not aligned to a retail version of Windows. This is aimed at users who are looking to be at the forefront of platform development. Insiders looking for the earliest access to features should remain on a version aligned to a retail build.
Release Preview will continue to be an advanced option aimed at commercial customers and Insiders who want early access to production builds in the days leading up to broad release. To select Release Preview, you will need to enable it in the ‘Advanced Options’ but the content remains unchanged. We’re actively talking with our commercial Insiders about how to make it better, and we want to hear from you.
Windows Insiders help shape the future of Windows, and your participation is important to Microsoft. But if you're sure you'd like to stop getting emails and Windows Insider Preview Builds from us, you can unregister and leave the program. If you'd just like to stop getting Insider Preview builds, you can also unenroll your device, but stay registered to keep getting email updates from Microsoft.
Depending on your channel today, leaving the Windows Insider Program or even moving between channels can sometimes require wiping your device and doing a clean install of Windows. That can be a barrier both for people considering the program and for Insiders who want to leave. To make this a more streamlined and consistent experience, Microsoft is making some behind the scenes changes to enable Insider builds to use an in-place upgrade (IPU) to hop between versions. This will allow in most cases Insiders to move between Experimental, Beta, and Release Preview on the same Windows core version, or leave the program without a clean install. An IPU takes a bit more time than your normal update but migrates your apps, settings, and data in-place. As Experimental Future Platforms is our earliest preview build option and does not align to a retail production build of Windows, moving to a different channel or out of the WIP program will still require a clean install.
You must be signed in as an administrator to stop getting Insider preview builds.
Contents
- Option One: Turn On or Off Stop Getting "Beta" or "Release Preview" Insider Preview Builds in Settings
- Option Two: Turn On or Off Stop Getting "Beta" or "Release Preview" Insider Preview Builds using REG file
Turn On or Off Stop Getting "Beta" or "Release Preview" Insider Preview Builds in Settings
1 Open Settings (Win+I).
2 Click/tap on Windows Update on the left side, and click/tap on Windows Insider Program on the right side. (see screenshot below)
3 Turn On (stop) or Off (default) Unenroll device for what you want. (see screenshots below)
In the old UI, you will need to click/tap on Stop getting preview builds to expand it open first.
4 You can now close Settings if you like.
Turn On or Off Stop Getting "Beta" or "Release Preview" Insider Preview Builds using REG file
1 Do step 2 (add) or step 3 (remove) below for what you would like to do.
2 Turn On Stop Getting "Beta" or "Release Preview" Insider Preview Builds
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_ON_Unenroll_this_device_when_the_next_version_of_Windows_releases.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\UI\Selection]
"OptOutState"=dword:000000013 Turn Off Stop Getting "Beta" or "Release Preview" Insider Preview Builds
This is the default setting
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.
Turn_OFF_Unenroll_this_device_when_the_next_version_of_Windows_releases.reg
Download
(Contents of REG file for reference)
Code:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost\UI\Selection]
"OptOutState"=dword:000000004 Save the REG file to your desktop.
5 If you have Smart App Control turned on, you will need to unblock the downloaded REG file.
6 Double click/tap on the downloaded REG file to merge it.
7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.
8 You can now delete the downloaded REG file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn Brink
Last edited:
