One of the oddities of the Windows Insider Program is that the Dev and Beta channels no longer map to specific Windows 11 versions, which means that there’s no way to automatically unenroll a PC because the “stop getting preview builds” option only kicks in when the current build is available in stable. I’ve been complaining about this for a long time—see The Insider Program is a One-Way, Dead-End Street (Premium) for an example—but it looks like Microsoft finally started paying attention. Well, sort of. It will give users in the Beta channel—but not the Dev channel—a way to opt out for the next two weeks.

Before the “stop getting preview builds” option existed, I called this sort of thing a “magic window,” but Microsoft is calling it an “off-ramp window.” Whatever, it’s a way out.

“In response to feedback from Windows Insiders in the Beta Channel, we are providing an off-ramp window for Insiders who have chosen the option to unenroll their device under ‘Stop getting preview builds’ under Settings > Windows Update > Windows Insider Program,” the Windows Insider Program team explains. “This off-ramp window will run starting today through March 8th, 2023.”

To qualify, you need to be running one of the two Beta channel builds that Microsoft just released, so build 22621.1325 or 22623.1325. If you’re on an early build, your PC will not unenroll.

This temporary change seems to verify that Microsoft plans to ship the second Windows 11 version 22H2 “Moment” update on the next Patch Tuesday, which is March 7. But all the post notes is that your PC “will then get an in-place upgrade with the March 2023 [week] ‘B’ release (the next Patch Tuesday) which will bring the device up to date with the released version of Windows 11, version 22H2. From there, the device will continue to receive normal servicing updates each month.”

The team also states that there will be a future “off-ramp window” that is presumably tied to the third Moment update or perhaps Windows 11 version 23H2. Whatever, this is good news. And Microsoft needs to let those in the Dev channel do the same. (This is especially a problem for those on Arm-based PCs since they can’t download a Windows 11 on Arm ISO. Perhaps that will change given the recent news: if Parallels can download a WOA11 ISO why can’t we?)