Microsoft Begins Prep Work For Next Cycle of Windows Development

Following the release of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update last week it did not take long for Windows Insiders to begin asking Dona Sarkar, the head of the Insider program at Microsoft, when the first new development build for Windows 10 would be released.

Today we gained a little bit of clarity but it was not about the specific date or any timeframe that those builds might start arriving for testers. What we did learn today is that Microsoft is doing their preparations so that development on the next major update to Windows 10, expected to be code named Redstone 2, can begin in earnest.

In the Feedback Hub on Windows 10, the Windows Engineering Team has shared information on what work is in progress and what testers can expect in the first few builds of Redstone 2 as they get pushed out.

Initially these releases will only be for PCs with mobile builds following down the road:

"We are now getting ready to start releasing new builds from our Development Branch to Windows Insiders in the Fast ring again. Just like we did after the release of the Windows 10 November Update – we will start off by releasing PC builds from our Development Branch first and then start releasing Mobile builds a few weeks after."

You also need to set your expectations with these first builds from the Redstone 2 development branch because the focus is going to be on Windows OneCore - this is the code shared across all the different versions of Windows - and they will be preparing that code so it is ready to take onboard updates and features from the Windows team. This means no new features should be expected in those first builds.

However, once that process is done then you can expect that new builds will begin revealing some of the new features that will arrive in the Redstone 2 release of Windows 10 which is expected sometime early next year.

This is also a good time to manage which devices you want in the Fast, Slow or Release Preview Rings for the Windows Insider Program. These early development builds will be very, very buggy so if you want to opt out of getting those releases then you need to switch to the Slow or Release Preview Ring to get more stable builds when they are available.

So are you ready for the hustle to begin again?

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