When PC users think of the Windows Insider Program, they mostly associate it with new preview builds that Microsoft releases several times a week in different channels. Each release gets detailed notes with new features, improvements, and fixes.
However, this program is not just about new features. Insiders receive plenty of additional updates of various types, and for an unprepared user, things might look a bit overwhelming, especially if you like to keep an eye on everything that Windows Update does. To make the situation clearer, Microsoft has published a support document that explained what updates it rolls out to Windows Insiders.
Here is every update type that Microsoft ships:
- Feature updates: These updates bring new features and capabilities to the operating system. Examples of recently introduced new features include the reworked Start menu, Recall, and more. Besides new features, these updates could improve existing capabilities.
- Quality updates: These improve general stability and performance by fixing bugs, issues, and other problems.
- Driver updates: These updates ensure all parts of your computer work well with the latest Windows versions and get you the maximum performance possible. Driver updates include chipset, graphics, audio, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, touchpad, and more.
- Security updates: These updates fix security vulnerabilities, making the operating system more resilient to hacker attacks, malware, and other kinds of digital nastiness.
- Servicing updates: These updates bring changes and improvements to the servicing stack, the backbone of Windows Update. The servicing stack manages how Windows installs and maintains its updates.
Speaking of updates and features, did you know that Microsoft recently launched a dedicated Windows Roadmap page where users can track everything that Microsoft is preparing and see the current rollout status? If you are interested, you can access the Windows Roadmap on the official website.