Win10 version 1909 (“19H2”) now has three current beta versions

Never let it be said that the Windows Insider rings are well defined.

Microsoft’s putting the finishing touches on the next new version (“feature update”) for Win10 version 1903. Except it isn’t being distributed as a new version. It’s being distributed as a plain-vanilla monthly patch (“quality update”).

I tend to think of the next version of Win10 as Win10 1903 Service Pack 1. But you’ll probably end up calling it Win10 version 1909.

Here’s where you need a decoder ring.

The Windows Release Preview ring has been used, historically, for all sorts of things. Recently, it’s been used to test updates to Win10 version 1903 prior to officially rolling them out. (It’s also been photobombed by an odd update, build 18947, which was quickly pulled.) On August 21, Microsoft released a new test version of Win10 1903, build 18362.325, into the Release Preview ring. Presumably, 18362.325 includes fixes for the VB/VBA/VBScript bugs introduced on Patch Tuesday in 18362.295.

Starting yesterday, a subset of those in the Release Preview ring (about 10%, according to Dona Sarkar), were given the keys to the executive washroom. If you’re in the Release Preview ring and you’re one of the chosen few, you’ll see a link to update to “Windows 10, version 1909.”

Click on that link and you’ll be able to test Win10 build 18363.327. That’s the first Win10 1909 update allowed out of the Redmond barn.

Note the monkey business with the build numbers — Win10 version 1903 is build 18362.blahblahblah. Win10 version 1909 (nee “19H2”) is build 18363.mumblemumble.

Sarkar says “to designate 19H2 as a feature update, we are revising the baseline build number by one full build” in the Windows Obfuscation Numbering Scheme. But note that:

Insiders in the Release Preview ring who get 19H2 Build 18363.327 today will not see all the 19H2 features the Slow ring currently has as not all the features have been incorporated into the build yet.

But wait a sec. There isn’t a single beta version of 1909 in the Slow Ring. There are two. I call them the bifurcating betas. That means, right now, there are not one, not two, but three different beta test versions of Win10 1909 — builds 18362.10014, 18362.10015, and 18363.327.

The official announcement ends with this bit of wisdom:

Because of the differences between the way the 19H2 updates are packaged between the Slow and Release Preview rings, Insiders in the Slow ring will not be able to switch to the Release Preview ring and get updates yet. Insiders who are thinking of switching rings should stay put for now. We will communicate to Insiders when it is ok to make the switch.

See what I mean about a decoder ring?

Thx @EP

UPDATE: Paul Thurrott has posted an article on his paywall site that says there are “a minimum of” four versions of 1909 (“19H2”) floating around. I’ve seen three, but haven’t seen the fourth — and doubt that it exists. Three. Four. Whatever. It’s still way too many.