No way to exit the insider program while keeping your data intact
No way to exit the insider program while keeping your data intact
I was testing the win11 insider preview version. My boot screen appears delayed, and sometimes my hard drives slow down or freeze while exploring files in Explorer. Some people suggested this is due to the insider build, so I’m considering exiting the program to keep my data safe. P.S. I’ve searched online, but the information seems outdated—hopefully there’s a fix available since I’m still unsure.
In short, I’m aiming to lower my OS from Insider to Win11. It seems the only option is to reformat the PC, which means losing everything like login info, installed apps, etc. (I understand it’s possible to move to another drive but the old drive still needs to recognize some programs and data...)
It seems there could be a workaround, though it might feel like a bigger effort than just installing the software directly. For most third-party programs, I keep a USB drive with the installer files to simplify the process.
You can withdraw from the Insider program using the Settings panel. But the build will soon end (Check the Windows About section for details). Unless you built it, you need a fresh installation to obtain the official version that doesn’t expire quickly.