Today, Microsoft released Windows 10 Insider Preview build 16273, bringing a ton of improvements and fixes to PCs in the Fast ring. It was the first build to roll out for three weeks, following some recent show-stopping bugs - but the company is now preparing for a much quicker stream of rollouts.
Microsoft is gearing up for the release of the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update, and in anticipation of its rollout, it"s focusing less on adding new features, and more on improving the overall quality of the OS. Indeed, Windows Insider Program chief Dona Sarkar said as much today: "We are now at the point of the development cycle for the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update where our focus is now on stabilization for release to the world."
With that in mind, she added: "This means that we intend to release these builds to Insiders more quickly to both the Fast and Slow rings as these builds [will] include mostly bug fixes."
Insiders in the Fast and Slow rings can therefore expect more builds more quickly from the RS3_RELEASE branch in the coming weeks, as Microsoft boosts its efforts to squash those bugs and add more polish to the OS. Those in the Skip Ahead ring, which Microsoft introduced a few weeks ago, will continue to receive builds from the RS_PRERELEASE branch for now, but "they won’t be released at the same pace as builds from RS3_RELEASE".
Dona explained:
Since we are just now beginning development for RS4, Insiders [in Skip Ahead] will soon notice a jump in build numbers just like we did early in RS3. Also 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 engineering teams remain focused on getting the Windows 10 Fall Creators Update ready for release. This remains our priority.
As we reported earlier this month, the Skip Ahead ring is now full. However, once the Fall Creators Update rollout begins, Microsoft will ditch that ring and move all Fast ring Insiders back to the RS_PRERELEASE branch, as it shifts towards development of the Redstone 4 update, which is expected to roll out around March 2018.
Source: Windows Blogs