Near-Final Windows 10 Version 1709 ISOs Are Now Available

Near-Final Windows 10 Version 1709 ISOs Are Now Available

Yesterday, Microsoft made Windows 10 Insider Preview build 16296 available for download in ISO form. If you’ve been following along, you know that this is not the final version of Windows 10 version 1709, or the Fall Creators Update. But it is a near-final build.

So why would Microsoft issue this build now? It’s hard to say.

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Microsoft first issued Windows 10 Insider Preview build 16296 to the Fast ring on September 22, almost two weeks ago. It included a number of important fixes but no new features, as you would expect given the timing.

Since then, Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider Preview build 16299 to the Fast ring on September 27, and then a minor bump, 16299.15, yesterday, on October 3. This, and the release of the original 16299 build, lead me to believe that Windows 10 version 1709 is essentially done.

So, again, why release a previous build in ISO form now? It’s unclear. In the past, Microsoft used to issue builds in ISO when those builds shipped to the Slow ring. But with 16299 now in the Slow ring, the availability of 16296 makes no sense. No sense at all.

Anyway, given where we’re at, it’s only a matter of time before the “final” version of Windows 10 version 1709—build 16299.something—is available to one and all in ISO form. But build 16296 is there if you want it. For some reason.

 

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Conversation 39 comments

  • dontbe evil

    04 October, 2017 - 9:36 am

    <p>it's my problem or I cannot see a link to the ISO in the article?</p>

  • JCerna

    Premium Member
    04 October, 2017 - 9:49 am

    <p>I actually ready need this iso so I don't care, I found a big bug on last version of windows that affect one device model we have. Now I can test if it's been fixed. It is weird they would have people test an old build maybe they got confused like we do with those build numbers.</p>

    • jimchamplin

      Premium Member
      04 October, 2017 - 10:47 am

      <blockquote><a href="#199562"><em>In reply to JCerna:</em></a></blockquote><p>Confused by the build numbers? They’re sequential.</p>

  • Winner

    04 October, 2017 - 1:24 pm

    <p>Microsoft really could save money by firing a bunch of its marketing department.</p><p><br></p><p>We've gotten so used to it that we take it for granted. But think if you heard this 25 years ago:</p><p><br></p><p>Name Windows, from 3.1 to 95 to 98 to Millennium Edition. To XP, to Vista, to 7. (Note that the naming theme changes every 1-2 releases there?)</p><p>Then Windows 8, then Windows 8.1.</p><p>Skip Windows 9, go to Windows 10. And Windows 10 is the LAST VERSION of Windows.</p><p>Then come out with a new "release" of the LAST VERSION of Windows. Called Creator's Update.</p><p>And then have ANOTHER, SECOND Creators Update RELEASE for the LAST VERSION of Windows.</p><p>And now we have an "almost final" version of the second release after the last version of Windows.</p><p><br></p><p>You can't make this stuff up.</p>

    • alanweiss

      24 October, 2017 - 5:13 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#200643"><em>In reply to Winner:</em></a></blockquote><blockquote><em>Excellent point!</em></blockquote><p><br></p>

  • snow.steve22

    Premium Member
    04 October, 2017 - 1:36 pm

    <p>I seem to remember that for the Creators' update, the final relelase ISO's exactly matched the Preview ISO's for Build 15063. That wasn't the last release to insiders from that series either. They seem to like to release an earlier, good enough build and fill in the holes with immediate updates to get the release to the final state they want. The poor partners have to have something to work with, after all.</p><p><br></p><p>If it works, I say go for it.</p><p><br></p><p>P.S. The "minor bump" to 16299.15 last night was HUGE and I'm guessing it was the same size as a regular full update. Strange!</p>

  • Tony Barrett

    04 October, 2017 - 4:05 pm

    <p>If anything, this delivery of Windows 'as a service' has completely destroyed the excitement of that old 3 year development cycle when a true, new Windows release was due. Now we get some hacked together bi-annual release that changes a few things, fixes some stuff and breaks more stuff. On top of that, there's now mammoth almost monthly in-between patches just to keep it going. It's just monotonous and predictable. It may keep MS in the tech press headlines, but boy is it dullsville.</p>

    • Lauren Glenn

      05 October, 2017 - 1:42 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#201246"><em>In reply to ghostrider:</em></a></blockquote><p>This is actually better. Unlike going from Windows XP to Vista to 7 requires so many software upgrades because people designed software using OS specific code that broke when we got an upgrade. I installed 1507, 1511, etc. to my work PCs and nothing has really broken inbetween (except for Cisco VPN but they replaced that with Cisco AnyConnect which does work)</p><p><br></p>

  • Jorge Garcia

    04 October, 2017 - 4:47 pm

    <p>Just because Windows Phone couldn't carve out a viable chunk of the market, doesn't mean MS should completely abandon the Post PC-world. How hard would it be to re-use a lot of the Windows Mobile code and transfer it onto tablets and "light-use" laptops and desktops? No traditional desktop, no Desktop Apps, but still keep the (optional) mouse and keyboard like Android supports. Call it "Surface OS" or something other than Windows so there is no confusion. Worst case, make it dual-boot between Surface OS/Windows 10, so the grown ups can still run their .exe's. Mind you, I am NOT describing Windows RT.</p>

    • skane2600

      04 October, 2017 - 11:15 pm

      <blockquote><a href="#201262"><em>In reply to JG1170:</em></a></blockquote><p>There is no "Post PC-world", but there is a "smartphone world" which is something different.</p><p><br></p>

      • Jorge Garcia

        10 October, 2017 - 2:16 am

        <blockquote><a href="#203628"><em>In reply to skane2600:</em></a></blockquote><p>I strongly disagree. There are people who do want a bit more flexibility than that which their smartphone offers. There are longer tasks which are much nicer to do on a bigger screen, with a keyboard and (potentially but not necessarily) a mouse. Google offers ChromeOS for this, Apple offers up iOS for Tablets. All Microsoft offers up if full-service Windows, which normal people just don't want to use (voluntarily, outside of work) any longer. They need a simplistic OS, if they want to compete at all. I say just re-skin Windows Mobile for a larger (desktop, laptop) screen.</p>

  • Otto Gunter

    04 October, 2017 - 9:16 pm

    <p>I came to read Thurrott.com and I got karma77police.com. [:-)</p>

  • skane2600

    04 October, 2017 - 11:13 pm

    <p>I keep seeing the headline as "Near-Fatal". I really need those new glasses.</p>

  • skane2600

    04 October, 2017 - 11:21 pm

    <p> Karma doesn't have a single down-vote in this topic. Was he hacked? Or was everybody else hacked? Or is he just on his best behavior? I actually agree with a lot he says until he gets to the extreme parts.</p>

  • Wolf

    Premium Member
    05 October, 2017 - 5:06 pm

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">16299.15 came to the slow ring last night as well. It certainly must be near final.</span></p>

  • haizelmaeem

    06 October, 2017 - 3:33 am

    <p>Tradingis the best buddy in making my monthly earnings bigger. Google SuperiorTrading System if you want to know how totrade successfully.</p>

  • technoworld

    14 October, 2017 - 2:51 am

    <p>I prefer windows on ios because it has awesome capabilities you can do anything like change your desktop that's why.. And I just came to know that we can customize our desktop with the help of raimeter themes and skins. You can check out <a href="https://ourtechnoworld.com/best-rainmeter-skins-themes/&quot; target="_blank" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">best rainmeter skins and themes for windows 10 here.</a></p>

  • alanweiss

    24 October, 2017 - 5:06 pm

    <p>Yeah, I'm super curious about why they released the previous build in ISO form… doesn't make sense to me.</p>

  • manoj121

    25 December, 2017 - 6:34 am

    <p><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">i am also curious why they relaesed the previous build in ISO form but still if we talking about windows then in prefer windows on IOs because we can customize our desktop with help of rainmeter skin and themes you can get the </span><a href="https://tech2ray.com/best-rainmeter-skins-themes-windows/&quot; target="_blank">Best Rainmeter Skins Themes For Windows 10/8/7</a><span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></p>

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