Windows 10: Microsoft accidentally releases dodgy build that forces users to wipe data

The company has apologised and admitted that the software went out inadvertently

The Windows Insider Program is hugely important for Microsoft, but comes with risks (REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton)

Microsoft has apologised for accidentally releasing a pair of Windows builds that caused serious problems for customers.

The company has admitted it didn’t intend to release the dodgy software, which affected both desktop and mobile users.

The desktop build exposed people to a high number of usability issues, while the mobile build trapped users in a never-ending loop, forcing them to reset their phones and lose their data.

“This happened because an inadvertent deployment to the engineering system that controls which builds/which rings to push out to insiders,” explained Microsoft software engineer Dona Sarkar in a blog post.

The builds were accidentally pushed to Windows Insiders, who can access the latest Windows builds and features before everyone else.

The Windows Insider Program is hugely important for Microsoft, which collects feedback from members and uses it to shape its operating system.

Though the company warns anyone who signs up to the programme that doing so comes with risks, as their gadgets will run pre-release software that might not work as it’s supposed to, the most recent build releases are different because they shouldn’t have gone out at all.

“If you received this build (from RS_EDGE_CASE) on your PC: Please be aware that this build was never intended to go out to Windows Insiders and may include issues that impact usability of your PC – more so than the normal builds we give you,” said Ms Sarkar.

People who downloaded it can either wait for Microsoft’s next build to be released or roll-back to the previous build by navigating to Settings > Update & security > Recovery.

However, this option is only available for a limited amount of time, and won’t work for people who used Disk Cleanup to remove that previous build.

“If you received this build (from RS_IoT) on Mobile: This build will *not* install on your device,” continued Ms Sarkar.

“If you installed this build, your device will be stuck in a reboot loop and the only way to recover is to use the Windows Device Recovery Tool and re-flash. After re-flashing, you can join the Windows Insider Program again on your device and choose your ring and be back on the right update path.”

Unfortunately, as Microsoft’s Windows Device Recovery Tool page explains, this will “install the latest version of Windows approved for your phone and remove everything else, including your apps, games, texts, call history, music, and photos.”