Insider Program Update.

[Geek-9pm]

You should already have received this in your email.
Microsoft has made some adjustments in the agreement for those who are in the insider program.

https://insider.windows.com/en-us/program-agreement/?OCID=WIP_r_Body_terms

It appears to be just a change in some legal terms.
Here is my question. Does this really change anything?
In a commercial environment, automatic updates can present some risk to the business. So frequent backups and a redundant method of doing business ought to be standard. Doesn't everybody know that? 
 

[BC_Programmer]

They have updated the terms a few times previously.

I found a previous copy of the terms here:

https://web.archive.org/web/20170827044049/https://insider.windows.com/en-us/program-agreement/


It looks like the new revision is much, much shorter. (6 versus 13 pasges when I pasted into Word)

Looking it over it seems like they largely simplified it.

I'm not sure what your last paragraph/sentence has to do with this, though. This agreement only applies to "Windows Insiders"; an exclusive term they have used to replace their QA department with volunteers.

[Geek-9pm]

Glad to know it is shorter. It takes me much too long to read it over.

I was thinking that maybe some IT people were using the beta versions of Windows 10 in a commercial environment. Which is not a good policy.

The Insider program is mostly for individuals and developers. - Right?

Now if a person does not want the insider updates on one of his computers, how would he do it?  Given that both computers are legal, how would you prevent the insider updates getting into both computes?

Is there some way you tell the update serve that one of yer PCs is for the beta testing ant the other needs to have a stable system?

[DaveLembke]

As far as blocking updates.... I dont see why a network device or system acting as a proxy or gateway etc wouldnt be able to block certain traffic so the system connected thru it never gets the updates. There must be a way to use content control to block network traffic related to the update process I would be thinking if not able to locally block/disable it.

Knowing how to make it work behind one, you could also find how to make it not work to update through one: http://www.edugeek.net/forums/windows-10/168922-windows-10-updates-behind-proxy.html

Such as blocking or redirecting these urls when local system looks for updates. Just not sure if it will complain if it sees a internet connection but knows it cant make it back to Micro-mommy:

http://download.windowsupdate.com
http://*.download.windowsupdate.com
http://download.microsoft.com
https://*.update.microsoft.com
http://*.update.microsoft.com
https://update.microsoft.com
http://update.microsoft.com
http://*.windowsupdate.com
http://*.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
http://windowsupdate.microsoft.com
https://*.windowsupdate.microsoft.com
http://ntservicepack.microsoft.com
http://wustat.windows.com

[BC_Programmer]

Group Policies can also be set to disable Windows Update altogether or to use the settings available from Windows 8.1 and earlier. I have mine set to "Notify for download and notify for install" and additionally I have disabled the ability for Windows Update to initiate a reboot to complete installing updates. Similar Group policies exist for other aspects such as Telemetry.

The Insider program is mostly for individuals and developers. - Right?

That's a charitable way of putting it. Microsoft laid off a significant amount of their Testing workforce in 2014, shortly before they started the program. The tasks that Insiders are expected to perform are effectively volunteering for programmatic testing roles. Saying "I'm a Windows *Insider*" makes people think they sound like they are part of some exclusive club, certainly more than "I do volunteer work to improve a proprietary software product for a massive corporation".

Now if a person does not want the insider updates on one of his computers, how would he do it?

Is there some way you tell the update serve that one of yer PCs is for the beta testing ant the other needs to have a stable system?

By not doing anything. You have to explicitly configure the system(s) in question to receive insider preview builds and configure it for the fast or slow ring.

I have two systems running insider builds on the fast ring, and my main systems on the standard consumer releases. The former I have on systems that don't matter very much. I just ignore the feedback hub- If I encounter problems, I just laugh at it. They can hire people to test their own damned product, rather than trying to pay me in "good vibes" or whatever they seem to be doing with the insider program.

[patio]

Well stated....every co. would love that many "Free" employees...

[Salmon Trout]

I accept that by joining the Insider Program in 2015 I became an unpaid software tester for Microsoft, but it gave me a legal install of Windows 10 on a Dell laptop that had OEM Windows XP on it. So in a way I avoided the cost of Windows 10 Professional full retail.

[Computer_Commando]

I accept that by joining the Insider Program in 2015 I became an unpaid software tester for Microsoft, but it gave me a legal install of Windows 10 on a Dell laptop that had OEM Windows XP on it. So in a way I avoided the cost of Windows 10 Professional full retail.

That & it automatically updated a machine from Win 7-Home to Win10-Pro.