back to article AMD fans forced to sit out latest Windows 10 Insiders build due to 'bug impacting overall usability of these PCs'

Microsoft teased a future that Intel could only dream of as it unleashed a new Dev Channel build of Windows 10 that was deemed unsuitable for AMD CPU-equipped PCs. Build 20170 followed 20161, which featured exciting user interface tweaks (for some Insiders)... and some processor borkage. Microsoft was tight-lipped on what it …

  1. Binraider Silver badge

    Should be seen as another win for AMD. MS gets to beta test it's crap on Intel victims first.

    1. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

      Don't cheer too loudly

      or MS will start charging us 'Borkage'

      Time for one of these methinks [see icon]

      1. Spacedinvader
        Pint

        Re: Don't cheer too loudly

        Have a beer, looks like you need one :)

  2. redpawn

    Like Castle Anthrax

    Can't I just have a little excitement?

    No! It's too exciting.

  3. Richard Jones 1
    WTF?

    Not The Only Issue

    Three of my PCs are not even offered 2004, due to unspecified 'issues'. One PC is an almost exact copy of the machine that did get 2004 a month ago, it was offered the package, but a day or so later it was no longer on offer but waiting to be fixed, whatever.

    However, the 'advances' appear less than interesting, that I wondered why they even bother to release it all. Maybe it should be an options pack, for those who might find it has something of value

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Not The Only Issue

      Same here. One Lenovo I have upgraded, the other one they've blacklisted. It's really weird. The page it links you to doesn't even really tell you why.

      1. Zippy´s Sausage Factory
        Windows

        Re: Not The Only Issue

        I do sometimes wonder if the "why" is a random number generator, designed to hold off 90% of PCs with that spec until they're sure there isn't something that just randomly breaks the drivers.

    2. big_D Silver badge

      Re: Not The Only Issue

      The problem can be anywhere, different drivers, a different version of a bit of software (one auto-updated, one didn't or has an older version that can't be updated).

  4. George Spiggott

    Some Intel security fix impacting AMD users ?

  5. Gene Cash Silver badge
    Linux

    Linus won't be able to use Windows on his new AMD box?

    Oh wait...

  6. Unicornpiss
    Meh

    It could be argued..

    ..that Windows itself is a bug impacting overall usability of PCs.

  7. seven of five

    It may look like a rethorical question:

    Just how incompetent can Micros~1 be?

    Do they ever test? Something? Anything?

    No answers needed/expected.

  8. nh525

    What's with all the Microsoft hate in these Comments?

    FYI, I am happily running build 20170 as part of Microsoft's preview program and it works just fine on my Intel-based PC. No crashes, no surprises. And when I want to run Linux on my Windows machine, I can bring up a Linux terminal window almost instantly from the file explorer menu, or I can start a whole VM running Ubuntu Linux from scratch in just a few seconds. It's a great development environment.

    1. LenG

      So the main advantage of windows is that it is easy to run linux on? Surely it is even easier to start with linux and cut out the middle man.

      I still run windows on my most powerful computer because I do a certain amount of gaming. However, I use the Pro version so that I can defer updates for a year and protect myself from disasters like a friend who updated to the latest build which promptly rendered his system unbootable even into safe mode. The bulk of my non-gaming needs are more than adequately catered for by an aging NUC running Mint.

    2. Binraider Silver badge

      Probably because most peoples experience of Windows 8, and 10 have been less than stellar. There are several points of contention. Firstly, the dubious activation rules - changing my video card apparently invalidated the activation rules necessitating multiple calls to the MS helldesk to get it reactivated. At one point, to be told buy a new license because "it's a new PC". err, no, swapping a Geforce 970 for Radeon 5700XT and installing an NVME drive into an available slot on the mobo does not a new PC make. MS still haven't resolved this issue. To this end, I'm now using a trial of Server 2019 instead as a desktop OS (though Mint is the daily driver).

      Second, the crapware; between Metro Apps, telemetry that cannot be disabled, and the advertising plastered everywhere. Yuck. Ironically, the above mentioned Server 2019 avoids much of the crapware.

      Third, the loss of control of your PC. Yes, in Win98 days I was absolutely the first person that whinged about a PC that didn't work properly to do a Windows Update. But Automated updates were ALWAYS disabled. Precisely to avoid the shambles that have been the roll out of patches. Giving willing volunteers the Beta test is fine. Don't use regular customers for it.

      Our experience of 10 Enterprise in corp environment hasn't exactly been a raging success either, never mind home use which one has come to expect to be nobbled from install.

      All things considered I only keep windows around to run a few select programs at this point; and software purchases are now limited to those that offer Linux or compatibility verified through the various hacks to get windows code up on Linux. If Propellerhead got of their arse and released Reason on Linux I would ditch Windows entirely. Considering I, like most other users, have been using MS products for the past 35 years in production environments and finding it increasingly a liability; something is seriously sick and wrong with it.

      We were promised Win10 would be the last version of Windows. Small hope that it's true.

  9. NATTtrash

    ElReg says:

    Someone less kind than us might suggest...

    Oops, need a new Depend.

  10. nigel 15
    WTF?

    AMD fans?

    I'm not an AMD fan. I won't get this update though because I do have an AMD computer. What's with the hyperbole?

  11. TeeCee Gold badge

    ...improvements in sound settings to permit the selection of default devices...

    I suspect that's a biggie and has been on the "too hard" pile for a long time.

    Only reason I can think of for having to go to the old skool Control Panel dialogue for anything more complicated than adjusting the volume, rather than having the functionality native in TIFKAM.

    Power and Networks are still on the "to do" list I guess.

    1. Binraider Silver badge

      Sound handling has been gripe of mine in Win10 for some time. Propellerhead Reason + Win7 on Juli@XTe worked perfect with a Z170 chipset. . Throw the same hardware and software on Win10; same motherboard; unexplained pops, clicks and hiss on the output.

      Swapping to a Z270 chipset with more PCI express lanes helped. Bizarre. I assume it is the interaction between the new sound APIs in 10 with the motherboard and chipset driver that cause the differences.

      Linux-land one of course has fun with ALSA, PULSE & JACKD to contend with; though I've not had any out of box problems in Mint like I did with WIn10. Oh, to persuade Propellerhead and others to port their software.... They already have an Apple version so it can't be too hard to port. Can it?!

  12. Swordfish1

    Microsoft, cant even get Windows 10 2004 feature update, sorted.

    I'm fed up with wasting my time, on this crap OS

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