Microsoft Releases the First RS4 Build of the Windows 10 Insider Preview

Microsoft Releases the First RS4 Build of the Windows 10 Insider Preview

Just days after its previous Windows 10 Insider Preview build to the Fast ring, Microsoft has released a new build for Skip Ahead users. That is, this new build is for Redstone 4, the version of Windows 10 that is expected in March 2018.

“Insiders who joined Skip Ahead will continue to receive builds from the RS_PRERELEASE branch which has transitioned to RS4 which is the release that will come after the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update (RS3),” Microsoft’s Dona Sarkar explains. “Insiders will notice that the build numbers have jumped ahead to 1635x.”

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So this RS4 release is build 16353, whereas the prior Fast ring (RS3) release was build 16278. This is the first time that a Skip Ahead build has diverged from Fast ring. (Previously, users in both rings got the same builds.)

As you should expect, there are no major new features in the build. It’s just too early for Microsoft to start testing such things. But there are few small improvements. Action Center supports a two finger touch gesture that dismisses all notifications, for example. And Action Center has a few minor visual changes. The rest is just fixes.

More confusing is that you couldn’t actually jump ship to Skip Ahead right now even if you wanted to. Microsoft only temporarily opened up the Skip Ahead ring to a limited set of testers, and it’s currently full. But once the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is complete, the Skip Ahead ring will “go away” and everyone in the Fast ring will be on RS4 builds.

 

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Conversation 12 comments

  • Jaxidian

    31 August, 2017 - 1:35 pm

    <p>Trying to install the Skip Ahead build right now. My first attempt failed (without much useful information). Trying again before I put effort into knowing what went wrong.</p>

    • Jaxidian

      31 August, 2017 - 2:04 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#170437"><em>In reply to Jaxidian:</em></a></blockquote><p>Still unable to install. Keep hitting error 0xc0000005. Googling makes it sound like an ancient invalid memory request thing.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm not asking for help or anything yet (I have plenty of things I need to try), just documenting this here in case this is a wider problem than with just me.</p><p><br></p><p>Again, this is with the update titled: "Windows 10 Insider Preview 16353.1000 (rs_prerelease)"</p>

    • unfalln

      31 August, 2017 - 11:34 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#170437"><em>In reply to Jaxidian:</em></a></blockquote><p>Dude, please read the whole story. The answers you seek shall be foretold in the final paragraph of Paul's scrawling.</p>

  • MikeGalos

    31 August, 2017 - 2:32 pm

    <p>A reminder that "Skip Ahead" is for people who thing Fast Ring is too stable and boring and usable.</p>

    • hrlngrv

      Premium Member
      01 September, 2017 - 12:45 am

      <p><a href="#171096"><em>In reply to MikeGalos:</em></a></p><p>Who'd want a usable Windows preview?</p>

  • Daniel D

    31 August, 2017 - 5:18 pm

    <p>All this constant updating of Windows 10 is doing, is priming the market to accept a competitors operating system. I don't know what that OS is and its possible it doesn't yet exist, but I am absolutely certain that constantly dicking around with Windows 10 is just slowly fatiguing people and getting them sick and tired of Microsoft.</p><p><br></p><p>That is the ideal conditions for someone to come in and shakeup the market.</p>

    • SvenJ

      31 August, 2017 - 5:29 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#171140"><em>In reply to Daniel_D:</em></a> For most people, MS is only 'dicking around' with Windows twice a year. That's not much different than previous feature updates. These constant updates are only if you opt on on the insider program. If you do and don't want it, get out. </blockquote><blockquote>Frequent app updates may be more of an issue, but people are accustomed to them from their cell phone experience. Probably expect them.</blockquote><p><br></p>

      • Thomas Parkison

        01 September, 2017 - 4:42 pm

        <blockquote><a href="#171142"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p>And yet in other segments of the technology industry people expect new things every year. Android gets a new version every year (whether you actually see it on your device is debatable), iOS gets a new version every year, and Mac OS gets a new version every year. The days of a version being released and stays around for years are done and I'm glad. Technology changes, it improves, new kinds of hardware is invented, etc. and the base OS needs to change with it.</p><p><br></p><p>I'm looking forward to this new version.</p>

      • Tony Barrett

        02 September, 2017 - 8:50 am

        <blockquote><a href="#171142"><em>In reply to SvenJ:</em></a></blockquote><p>MS are 'dicking around' with Windows. It may only be two major updates a year, but every month it seems there's some huge cumulative update to deal with that either fixes or breaks a whole load of issues. For the average person, that very much feels like MS are constantly dicking around.</p><p>I've said before, MS are under no pressure to make Windows stable, lock down features or just make things work. It's just a rolling release'n'fix cycle.</p>

  • jimbosf

    Premium Member
    31 August, 2017 - 11:14 pm

    <p>Throws an exception and rolls back repeatedly on Surface Pro 3.</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    02 September, 2017 - 8:53 am

    <p>Jeez. I can see why Insiders are leaving in droves. I'm sure it sounded great at the beginning – to be at the cutting edge, but now it's just a chore being Microsoft's unpaid beta-testing b*tch!</p>

  • kuramin

    09 September, 2017 - 3:25 am

    <p><a href="http://jellygamatcair.com/&quot; target="_blank">jelly gamat</a></p><p>Very insteresting :D</p>

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