According to Tweet by Dona Sarkar there is only 100 minutes left before it is all cooked and done!
T-2 hours…@Windows#FCU pic.twitter.com/cSMQC9jlmg
— Dona Sarkar (@donasarkar) October 17, 2017
Jay! The Fall Creators Update of Windows 10 is around the corner!
Yesterday, the day of the Windows Developer Day, the Windows Insiders Blog came with a small but important update:
This, almost certain, means that we are done with Windows 10 Fall Creators Update and this (version 16299.15) will be the final release version to be released next week October 17th. The Release Preview ring is considered to be the most secure ‘preview’ ring for people who want to get bits early but don’t want to take the risks of breaking things that come with other less secure build flights such as the Fast or Slow Ring.
So there you have it … Windows 10 Fall Creators Update is cooked and done if you ask me.
They also released the Windows 10 SDK at the Windows Developer Day yesterday (10/10), another sign that things are ready. The SDK usually locks down way before locking down Windows itself, because software developers need a solid base to build their Fall Creators Update versions on, still they released it yesterday. A special day with lots of Ten numbers, waiting for next week with both Ten and Seventeen in the name. But what’s in a name?
It’s been a couple of days ago already since the previous Preview Build came around. But today, while the complete Insiders Team is at #msignite they announced the release of Windows 10 Insiders Preview Build 16299:
Only on the Fast Ring of Redstone 3 (Fall Creators Update) and not on Skip Ahead (Redstone 4).
Just some bug fixes, the list is getting shorter and shorter ….
Darn …. these Windows Insiders Program dudes go faster than light!
I just blogged about the 16294 build that I personally missed. Posted the blog, checked the Windows Insiders Program and guess what? Another build!
Yes …. you heard it right … another build …
Fast ring only, Redstone 3 … not the Skip Ahead, Redstone 4.
The important notice still stands from the previous (16294) build:
IMPORTANT NOTE: You will be unable to install *new*/additional language packs on this build. Pre-existing language packs (language packs you’ve installed previously) will carry over and work just fine.
So let’s see if there is another build while I’m publishing this blog update 
…
Just a quick update .. I personally missed it because I’m on the Skip Ahead flight and this one is only available on the Fast Ring, not the Slow Ring or the Skip Ahead Ring:
For us … the Dutch people, it was an important build though because they fixed an issue specifically with Dutch builds:
“We fixed an issue on Dutch builds where explorer could go into a crash loop if an app-requested downloads notification popped up from OneDrive.”
Still not much more … only a couple of bug fixes. There is however an IMPORTANT NOTE added at September 21st:
“You will be unable to install *new*/additional language packs on this build. Pre-existing language packs (language packs you’ve installed previously) will carry over and work just fine.”
We are getting closer and closer to the final release. Hardly a prediction anymore.
I haven’t heard anything about it, but would Ignite be an opportunity for release? Sadly, I won’t be there to watch it live … but the keynote is streamed live so I’ll be at the monitor Monday afternoon.
Another day, another Insiders Build for the PC in the Fast Ring of the Redstone 3 (Fall Creators Update) flight. Not for Skip Ahead (Redstone 4) this time. This is still a stabilizing build to get ready for release soon.
Not much new, couple of fixes, but still a new thingy in this build: Resume from phones to PC with Cortana. If you started reading your articles or news on your iPhone or Android with the Cortana app you can continue reading on your PC.
Sadly enough … -after all these years- still no Dutch Cortana here so nothing to see for us Dutchies again 
(wouldn’t you wish some features were completed first and deployed globally, like Cortana, instead of building new features? … oh well, the burden of a non English nation …)
Anyway … here is the official announcement:
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2017/09/19/announcing-windows-10-insider-preview-build-16291-pc/#BgOMUi6wo341l4cO.97
Just when I posted the blog about Insider Preview Build 16288 yesterday I received Insider Preview Build 16362 on my Skip Ahead machine and had to reboot for a relatively long boot process.
As you know there are two flights these days, one Redstone 3 (Fall Creators Update) flight and one Redstone 4 (Skip Ahead) flight. The Redstone 3 flight is now almost ready and on Build 16288 but Redstone 4 is just starting and as of today on Build 16362:
As they mention: “Because we are just beginning development for RS4, Insiders shouldn’t expect to see a lot of big changes or new features just yet. Our focus remains getting the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update ready for release!”
There are some improvements, like the improved boot experience where the boot process is able to use your settings to show information according to your personal settings (this is an Opt-out option, so you can disable it) and Narrator improvements among a long list of smaller fixes.
If you don’t have Skip Ahead, you still need to wait until they open up the program again (to be expected just after the Fall Creators Update is released). All others … enjoy your new Build!
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UPDATE:
Insider Preview Build 16288 for PC is now pushed to the slow ring. This usually indates that the version is becoming more stable to be trusted for a larger audience to be installed. We are getting closer to the final build …. but this isn’t the one according to Dona!
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It’s been a (relative) long time between this Insider Preview and the previous Insider Preview … The Windows 10 Insider Previews cadence just before the last one was really high, maybe more that 3 a week. With almost 11 days between this one and the previous one if feels like it took for ages to get this out.
One of the changes in this 16288 build (Redstone 3, not available on Skip Ahead – the Skip Next is already on 16353, see https://maartenvanstam.wordpress.com/2017/09/02/redstone-4-windows-10-insider-preview-build-16353-for-pc-skip-ahead/) is that the watermark is gone. There used to be a version number in the lower right-hand corner with preview versions but that is history now.
So is this the final build? Well no …. the version is branded Version 1709 and we are living in September 2017 but it is not ready yet, at least that is what Dona Sarkar mentioned in the official announcement:
Even the desktop watermark might return within time …
Almost at the same time as the Insider Preview Build 16281 for PC for Redstone 3 (Fall Creators Update) Microsoft released the Skip Ahead Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16353 for PC to the Windows Insiders who opted in for the Skip Ahead flight:
The flight is currently closed, if you haven’t joined the Skip Ahead flight you need to wait until after the release of the Fall Creators Update that was announced for October 17th in about six weeks from now:
Microsoft created a nice infographic to show you the differences between the RS3 and RS4 flights:
I just installed the build, no issues so far so all good for now …
Quick Update:
Another Windows 10 Insider Preview Build for the Redstone 3 release flight. Again, “Skip Ahead” aka Redstone 4 is skipped, so this will be another stabilizing build to prepare Redstone 3 for going RTM as the Fall Creators Update in a couple of weeks or maybe even faster.
Here are the details on the official Microsoft Insiders Blog:
Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 16278 for PC
Have Fun, probably won’t last that long as with this pace the next build can be expected quickly!
