No RTM for Windows 10, Microsoft Says

[psyko666]

No this one will require a bit of mental gymnastics. But in response to a related question, Microsoft told me today that there is no “RTM,” “final” or “gold” version of Windows 10. And that I’m not alone in my confusion: much of the company still doesn’t get this either.

To be fair, this is in some ways just semantics, I get that. But you don’t have to go back too far to remember Windows RTM sign-offs that involved much pomp and circumstance, including in at least one case the RTM bits—literally encoded on gold optical discs—being whisked away from the Microsoft campus in a helicopter. (Yes, really.)

Drama aside, the term RTM is useful in the same way that all terms are useful in that it lets us refer to a thing, simply, by a name that in this case is well-understood and still somewhat accurate. PC makers have always received the RTM version of Windows whatever, and that is the code that went out on PCs. With recent Windows versions, that RTM code was often added to post-RTM so that what went out on new PCs was updated. (And if you got the code on disc as an upgrade or whatever, those post-RTM updates would be downloaded via Windows Update.) The RTM build, always, had a specific build number.

Windows 10 meets this criterion. There is a build number 10240, that can in fact be considered “RTM,” “final” or “gold.” It has been given to PC makers and will be provided to those who upgrade. It has been and will continue to be updated with post-RTM code, called hot-fixes, that will fix small issues or whatever. Just as with the past few versions of Windows.

So why not just call build 10240 RTM?

Windows Insiders (like PC makers) already have access to the best code available pending some final hot fixes ahead of the July 29th launch date, I was told, and there is a certain accuracy to that: as I’ve written a few times recently, all of the PCs and devices I have with prerelease versions of Windows 10 have in fact been updated now to build 10240 and whatever post-10240 hot-fixes.

Because of this, the notion of “RTM,” “final” or “gold” is thus relative, and these old terms and definitions don’t necessarily hold up as well as they used to when Windows was delivered in a more monolithic fashion and had very specific, hard-stop milestones. With Windows 10, nothing is ever really “done.”

Fair enough. I like being able to describe things simply, and this confusion—or weirdness, or vagueness, or whatever—sits strangely in the pit of my stomach. But I can at least say this: whatever you want to call it, Windows 10 is heading out to Windows Insiders now, is with PC makers and will be delivered on new hardware starting on July 29, and will be in the hands (if virtually) of upgraders starting next week.

The thing is, July 29—what I would like to call “general availability” or GA—is in fact just the start of general availability since not everyone who wants Windows 10 will in fact be able to get it on that exact day. Some people who reserved the Windows 10 upgrade will wait days or weeks before they’re actually upgraded. So even the GA term is perhaps out of date as well. Dammit.

I can’t stand the impreciseness of this.

Source

Thanks to Beamslider

Edit: so all install Build 10240 hurry up! :P

[shorty6100]

My head hurts. Maybe because I was in the sun all day playing lousy golf, or maybe I drink too much beer and not enough water. Or maybe I'm trying to wrap my head around this Windows 10 madness. Or, perhaps, all of the above. Anyway, I am curious as to what will happen July 29th, as I have build 10240 with all 4 current hot fixes. Maybe my OS will be permanently activated then as well.

[dMog]

don't ask me i have no idea...and apparently...neither does microsoft :lol:

[Holmes]

This windows as a service is confusing everyone including microsoft themselves they have reiterated how many times about windows ten is free (there going to have to explain it again probably). Everyone can see there inept at explaining shit and now this rtm shit. I hope they get tired of hearing themselves explain and stop the idea of paying monthly. I wont pay monthly for windows period..

[UpGrade]

So is there an offcial ISO of the last build ? i only have the esd i converted no offical iso

[CODYQX4]

RTM or not, I'm waiting for an official, sanctioned build, because at some point, they have to freeze an ISO and distribute it via MSDN and/or VLSC, because how the hell else do they expect huge Enterprises to get it? GWX x10K PCs?

[capt_blake]

WZor is releasing right now (started minutes ago) some images of the final, OEM.

If you’d look at their Twitter feed:

https://twitter.com/WZorNET

For example, the x64 is here:
MICRO$OFT.WINDOWS.10.PRO-CORE.RTM.10240.X64.OEMRET.ENGLISH.DVD-WZT
https://twitter.com/WZorNET/status/623980196975276032

**
PS: WZor: "NOTE: this is an original M$ image shared with the partners

Windows 10 KMS Client Setup Keys

https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/jj612867.aspx "

[dMog]

This windows as a service is confusing everyone including microsoft themselves they have reiterated how many times about windows ten is free (there going to have to explain it again probably). Everyone can see there inept at explaining shit and now this rtm shit. I hope they get tired of hearing themselves explain and stop the idea of paying monthly. I wont pay monthly for windows period..

where do you get any inkling of a monthly or any fee

[eurobyn]

^{for what i think is the build 10240 official launch.}

^{my wathermark is away and i have official serial that goes with it.}

[ck_kent]

From what I've read, 10240 is the final build number because of Microsoft's "clever" way of picking build numbers with special meaning:

Microsoft has always tried to pick special numbers with meaning for the release to manufacturing of most major versions of Windows. Windows 95 used 4.00.950, Windows 98 used 4.10.1998, Windows Vista rounded off to 6.0.6000, and Windows XP settled on 5.1.2600 (a reference to the hacker magazine). While Microsoft engineers wanted to use 8888 for Windows 8, a new requirement introduced with Vista meant the final build number of any version of Windows must be a multiple of 16. That messed up the cute numbering scheme for Windows 8, but it’s almost perfect for Windows 10.

Microsoft has picked 10240 as the final build of Windows 10. At first glance it might not seem particularly interesting or relevant to Windows 10, but dig a little deeper and it’s math magic. Back in days before we even used to use floppy disks, the kilo prefix used to mean 1024 for the computer industry, so 1024 kilobytes would be 1 megabyte. These days the industry refers to 1000 kilobytes as 1 megabyte, but that’s not stopping Microsoft from reminiscing. 10240 kilobytes translates to 10 megabytes (using kilo as 1024), and you can have even more fun if you drop the trailing zero and focus on just the 1024 part of the build number. If you find any more examples where Microsoft is hinting at the number 10 in its final build number then feel free to drop them into the comments below and we’ll add them to the list.

• 10240 kilobytes = 10 megabytes (where kilo is 1024)
• 2^10 x 10 = 10240
• 1024 is an approximation of 1000
• 1024 represented as binary is 10000000000
• 10240 represented as binary is 10100000000000
• 10240 bits = 10 Kibibits
• 10240 bytes = 10 Kibibytes

[oliverjia]

10240 is the build Microsoft sent to OEM for deployment. This fits the definition of "RTM", so 10.0.10240.16384 is the RTM.

[Holmes]

This windows as a service is confusing everyone including microsoft themselves they have reiterated how many times about windows ten is free (there going to have to explain it again probably). Everyone can see there inept at explaining shit and now this rtm shit. I hope they get tired of hearing themselves explain and stop the idea of paying monthly. I wont pay monthly for windows period..

where do you get any inkling of a monthly or any fee

I read about it on these forums I forget where. I like windows I dont want to switch to linux..

[dMog]

From what I've read, 10240 is the final build number because of Microsoft's "clever" way of picking build numbers with special meaning:

Microsoft has always tried to pick special numbers with meaning for the release to manufacturing of most major versions of Windows. Windows 95 used 4.00.950, Windows 98 used 4.10.1998, Windows Vista rounded off to 6.0.6000, and Windows XP settled on 5.1.2600 (a reference to the hacker magazine). While Microsoft engineers wanted to use 8888 for Windows 8, a new requirement introduced with Vista meant the final build number of any version of Windows must be a multiple of 16. That messed up the cute numbering scheme for Windows 8, but it’s almost perfect for Windows 10.

Microsoft has picked 10240 as the final build of Windows 10. At first glance it might not seem particularly interesting or relevant to Windows 10, but dig a little deeper and it’s math magic. Back in days before we even used to use floppy disks, the kilo prefix used to mean 1024 for the computer industry, so 1024 kilobytes would be 1 megabyte. These days the industry refers to 1000 kilobytes as 1 megabyte, but that’s not stopping Microsoft from reminiscing. 10240 kilobytes translates to 10 megabytes (using kilo as 1024), and you can have even more fun if you drop the trailing zero and focus on just the 1024 part of the build number. If you find any more examples where Microsoft is hinting at the number 10 in its final build number then feel free to drop them into the comments below and we’ll add them to the list.

• 10240 kilobytes = 10 megabytes (where kilo is 1024)
• 2^10 x 10 = 10240
• 1024 is an approximation of 1000
• 1024 represented as binary is 10000000000
• 10240 represented as binary is 10100000000000
• 10240 bits = 10 Kibibits
• 10240 bytes = 10 Kibibytes

and to some this will be proof that microsoft is 666

[ASIO]

10240 is the build Microsoft sent to OEM for deployment. This fits the definition of "RTM", so 10.0.10240.16384 is the RTM.

ya test rtm

[spudboy]

No one knows if what is released on the 29th will be the same build as the "RTM". Sick of seeing 1,001 "RTM" posts. Just wait until the 29th and get it then.

[Beamslider]

Why wait....I have nothing to lose either way. I am already running 10240 and activated on fresh install.

Don't think that is going to change but even if it did....All I would have to do is reinstall Window 7 from a back up and upgrade it again then reinstall if they changed it around.

You can bet that MS is desperate enough to get people on Windows 10

[dezsez]

Is it The End; or The Beginning of the End ; or The End of The Beginning ;or just The Beginning ?

Lets all turn on our Lava lamps, Wear our Mood rings and get confused . :)

[Mantronix]

Fack it.. gonna install Windows 10 Pro. it's hard to wait although it's just a few days left, build 10240 is going to updated too so.

[dcs18]

This windows as a service is confusing everyone including microsoft themselves they have reiterated how many times about windows ten is free (there going to have to explain it again probably). Everyone can see there inept at explaining shit and now this rtm shit. I hope they get tired of hearing themselves explain and stop the idea of paying monthly. I wont pay monthly for windows period..

where do you get any inkling of a monthly or any fee

I read about it on these forums I forget where. I like windows I dont want to switch to linux..

Please do switch to Linux — for the hour of truth.

[november_ra1n]

Don't think that is going to change but even if it did....All I would have to do is reinstall Window 7 from a back up and upgrade it again then reinstall if they changed it around.

As long as you have successfully Upgrade to Build 10240 next ISO MS release on 29 July 2015 you do not need to do all over again nor Upgrade.

You can simply clean install next ISO it will still be activated cause MS recorded your BIOS and hardware info while you were upgrading first time.

[exitrade]

Of course is not the anyone notice a bugs? I'm many of them.