I installed Windows 10 preview on a windows 8.1 Pro PC several month ago. Everything was fine until I installed build 10525 today. With build 10525 everything seems to be working but now at the bottom right of the screen I get "Windows 10 Home Insider preview/Evaluation copy. Build 10525".

Why does it says evaluation after I installed the release kit several weeks ago, and most importantly why does it says Home when it should be Pro.

Sorry my error. I have several Windows 8.1 pro PCs, but this one was updated from Windows 7 Home. So problem solved, but still why does it says that this is an Windows insider evaluation copy. I thought I stop being an insider when I installed the released version.

Am I now an insider for life?

Start > Settings  > Update & Security > Windows Update > Advanced options, you should see an option to "Stop insider builds.  Doing this will require a restart.

It's because windows insiders is back so you can try features before they are on general release.  Remember win 10 is a continuous update process now and we still need insiders to try out new things.  You can opt out if you want to stay on the release version and roll back from All Settings -> Update & Security

please mark as answer if that helps, Andrew (@deppfat)

• Proposed as answer by Michael ShaoMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Thursday, August 20, 2015 4:07 AM

If you were not an insider you would not have gotten the update as it is for insiders only. 

• Do you want to continue as a Windows Insider and keep getting preview builds after 7/29?
• Or do you want to upgrade your Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 system that has been getting Windows 10 Insider Preview builds to the 7/29 release and stop being an Insider?

I want to continue as a Windows Insider! If you want to continue as a Windows Insider past 7/29 there is nothing you need to do. Youre already opted in and receiving builds in the Fast or Slow ring depending upon your selection. This is prerelease software and is activated with a prerelease key. Each individual build will expire after a time, but youll continue to receive new builds so by the time an older prerelease build expires youll have received a new one. Since were continuing the Windows Insider Program youll be able to continue receiving builds and those builds will continue to be activated under the terms of the Windows Insider Program. We provide ISOs for these builds for recovery from any significant problems, but they are still pre-release software. As part of the program well upgrade Insiders to what is for all intents and purposes the same build as what other customers will get on 7/29, but that will be just another build for Insiders, and those who stay in the program will simply get the next build after as well.

I want to opt out of the Windows Insider Program on 7/29. If you decide to opt-out of the program and upgrade to the 7/29 build you will be subject to exactly the same terms and conditions that govern the offer* that was extended to all Genuine Windows 7 and 8.1 customers. This is not a path to attain a license for Windows XP or Windows Vista systems. If your system upgraded from a Genuine Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 license it will remain activated, but if not, you will be required to roll back to your previous OS version or acquire a new Windows 10 license. If you do not roll back or acquire a new license the build will eventually expire.
http://blogs.windows.com/bloggingwindows/2015/06/19/upcoming-changes-to-windows-10-insider-preview-builds/

None of the above answers are helpful. Clicking on the "Stop Insider Build" button only leads me to a web page that said I can rollback to Windows 7.

I don't want to roll back to Windows 7. I just want to stay with the Windows 10 Release, and not be an insider anymore.

Assuming your Win 7/8.1 key is now activated with Win 10, you could always download the .iso and perform a clean install. 

I don't like any of the options it looks I have.

1. Doing a clean install. It means re-installing all my third-party software, which is a lot. I used to like clean installs, but I guess I am getting old, and I find it's just too much work, If I don't absolutely need to do it.

2. The second option is to start from the backup of windows 7 I took before installing Windows 10 preview for the first time, and install Windows 10 on top of that. This is less painful, but the backup is from February, and a lot happened in 6 months. This option is less painful than a clean install, but not by much.

If I knew I was going to be an insider for life, I would have thought twice about signing up. I was under the impression that once we get the windows 10 release, the insider preview was over. 

Then hopefully you should be able to roll back to Windows 7 then upgrade to Windows 10 using the Media Creation Tool (but don't to do a clean install, otherwise your Windows 10 won't activate).

Mogojohn this is confusing. I am pretty sure I read that once you are activated for a given PC, then you can do a clean install, and the activation server will recognize the PC, and all will be well. This was supposedly one of the changes made with Windows 10.

Can any body from Microsoft confirm or deny that.

What you say is correct with respect to the free upgrade.  The Insider Preview version is confusing and I am unclear about that.

You should be able to go back to 7, use the free upgrade to gain an activated version, then you can Select to get preview builds in Windows Update Advanced settings.  This is what I did but I had to register from a different user account for that latter procedure to work.

pelico12,

The watermark of build 10525 means now you are under the insider program.

Upgrade to Windows 10 build 10525 means you didn't stop the insider builds under Windows 10 build 10240, under Settings/Update and recovery/Windows Update/Advanced options.

If you want to rollback to Windows 10 build 10240, go to Settings/Update and security/Recovery and choose to rollback to previous builds, after that, stop the insider builds and you will be OK to get out of the Insider program.

As Andrew shared, Windows 10 updates or the new builds will be delivering as a service, which means once they are ready for the public, we will get the features available.

If any further concern, please feel free to post back.

Regards

Nice, Confusing but Nice.

I updated 2 PCs with Windows 10 Insider preview. One Desktop (from Windows 7 Home) with too many things on it. I will go to the slow track and stay an insider.

The second was a laptop with windows 8 pro on it. This one has much less things, and could use a clean install. So I bit the bullet, and try to do a clean install of Windows 10 on it. The good news is that after the clean install the laptop was activated to Windows 10 Pro without me having to do anything for it.

But here is the confusing part. Several time during the install I was asked to enter the license key. When I entered my Windows 8 pro key it was not recognized. When I was asked for the key I click on 'skip' (the first time I was asked), and 'Ask me later' (the second time I was asked). Windows was happy with that and the installation continued

Another thing I encountered was an Install loop. I was doing other things during the install, and was not paying attention, but after Windows finish the install, it rebooted an started a new install. I had to disconnect the disk-on-key with windows 10 on it, and reboot manually, and everything was OK.

pelico12,

For the clean install part, yes Windows setup would ask you for the keys when installing, any keys for previous version of Windows won't work here. We should and is supposed to click the ask me later here.

Once the installation finished, Windows 10 would activate automatically when Internet Connection is available.

For the install loop here, if we installed Windows 10 from the install media, then please check the boot loader under BIOS, this may be the cause of the install loop.

Regards