Windows 10 Preview build 21286

Tech Talk Software
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New preview builds went out yesterday for x86 and ARM for build 21286. This is a full ISO download for anyone interested.

Announcing Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 21286 | Windows Insider Blog

Download Windows 10 Insider Preview ISO (microsoft.com)

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windowsinsiderpreviewARM64

The evaluation period has also been bumped up to just over 10 months (no product key required). I confirmed this by installing on my test VM. Screenshot for proof below.

winver_build21286

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Installed in Parallels on my M1 Mac. Not sure if it’s because of parallels or the arm version but a lot of the windows own apps still don’t run, just try to open and crash. Funny thing is a lot of third party applications are just fine.

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That’s funny. Completely reminiscent of Apple and their dev process.

I don’t have an ARM system on me to try out but I would believe you that it’s not your Mac or Parallels. Parallels and VMware hypervisors are hardware driven so they are definitely not unreliable by any stretch of the imagination. Good way to test, in other words.

Anything you see inside the VM you should report with the feedback tool as Microsoft suggests, never had a problem communicating with the engineers this way.

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Installing it now on my MacBook Pro. M1 Parallels with Windows 10 for ARM, Insider Build 2004 21286…

  • Bluescreened on first boot.
  • Good news, all my files are where I left them
  • Edge launches and runs. Pretty quick, too.
  • Office installer runs, logs in with my Authenticator. Word works perfectly. So does Excel.
  • Maps runs and works (even knows my location once that’s turned on in Settings)
  • Klondike solitaire just sits there - probably not ARM compatible
  • I can see and browse the Mac within Windows
  • Explorer works
  • Microsoft Store, Calculator, Calendar will not open

I suspect the issue is that only ARM version of apps will run. Even in Windows for ARM, not all the apps are ARM? I’m just amazed that I can run Windows on an M1 Mac!

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Of course this is just a CES announcement, but it might eventually become an interesting target for Windows on ARM?

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I am too! I just started looking at this stuff because my wife asked me to research some way for her to play Phasmophobia on her new M1 MacBook Air. YouTube showed me a few videos of guys using Parallels and something called Crossover(?) and I want to learn more. Not that I love Windows but if it opens up pc gaming, that’s interesting :face_with_monocle::cowboy_hat_face: I’m excited to see it’s on your radar too and look forward to any further findings you report on TWiT. Thanks :blush:

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By the way I ended up pointing her to GeForce instead to play that game for simplicity’s sake. Hope companies keep developing for Apple silicon like this, woohoo!

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