hi there bro , what will happen to my windows 11 pc after the evaluation period ends " windows 11 pro insider preview evaluation copy. build 26300.7674.ge_prerelease_im.260120-1446 "

Question

what will happen to my windows 11 pc after the evaluation period ends " windows 11 pro insider preview evaluation copy. build 26300.7674.ge_prerelease_im.260120-1446 "

i have windows 11 pc and it has been upgraded from windows 10 and i did not chose to join windows insider program in windows 10 nor in windows 11 and i found my pc get insider preview builds , now i want to leave totally insider preview program without losing my apps and their related data too , thanks a lot in advance .

Answer 1

Hello Bahaa,

If you decide to remain in the Dev branch, MS will change the expiration date as long as you keep updating. You are currently testing 26H2 which will become release by this fall.

If you want to return to the Release version of W11, delete the entire WindowsSelfHost Key. It will be rebuilt after a reboot:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\WindowsSelfHost

After you reboot, check to see if you are out of Insider on the Insider page. You need to dl the ISO image from here and mount the image within Windows and run setup.exe. This is a repair install and you will retain your files.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows11

Regards,

Answer 2

Hi Bahaa Noseir,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

Your PC is currently running Windows 11 Insider Preview build 26300.7674 (ge_prerelease). Preview (evaluation) builds are expected to show expiration notices. Leaving the Insider Program without losing apps and data is only supported once the device is on a public (stable) Windows 11 release.

Here are some possible options that you can consider at this point:

1 - If or when your build aligns with a public Windows 11 release:

• Open Settings > Windows Update → Windows Insider Program
• Turn on Stop getting preview builds
• Follow the on‑screen instructions

2 - Move to stable immediately to avoid evaluation expiration on a prerelease build:

• Back up your personal files
• Download Windows 11 installer from Microsoft official site
• Install Windows 11 using the production image
• Apps will need to be reinstalled.

Taking action before the evaluation period ends will help avoid interruptions.

Let me know if you need further assistance, feel free to ask me by clicking "Add Comment" or "Add Answer" if you cannot add comment so your response will be visible. Thanks for your effort.

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Answer 3

Once the evaluation period for your Windows 11 Pro Insider Preview build ends, your device will start to experience limitations. Typically, Insider Preview builds have an expiration date, and once this date is reached, the build may stop functioning properly, leading to notifications that require you to update to a newer build or revert to a stable version of Windows. If you do not update, your device may become unusable after the expiration date.

To leave the Insider Preview program without losing your apps and their related data, you can follow these steps:

1. Unenroll from the Insider Program: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Insider Program and select the option to stop receiving Insider Preview builds.
2. Reset or Rollback: If you want to revert to a stable version of Windows, you may need to perform a clean installation of the latest stable version of Windows 11. Make sure to back up your important files and data before proceeding with this step.
3. Backup Your Data: Always ensure that your apps and related data are backed up before making significant changes to your operating system.

By following these steps, you can transition out of the Insider Preview program while minimizing the risk of losing your applications and data.