Manage preview builds
Verified with Windows 11 25H2 — updated on July 30, 2026
Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
Path in the GPO console
Computer Configuration\Administrative Templates\Windows Components\Windows Update\Manage updates offered from Windows Update Description
Enable this policy to manage which updates you receive prior to the update being released to the world. Dev Channel Ideal for highly technical users. Insiders in the Dev Channel will receive builds from our active development branch that is earliest in a development cycle. These builds are not matched to a specific Windows 10 release. Beta Channel Ideal for feature explorers who want to see upcoming Windows 10 features. Your feedback will be especially important here as it will help our engineers ensure key issues are fixed before a major release. Release Preview Channel (default) Insiders in the Release Preview Channel will have access to the upcoming release of Windows 10 prior to it being released to the world. These builds are supported by Microsoft. The Release Preview Channel is where we recommend companies preview and validate upcoming Windows 10 releases before broad deployment within their organization. Release Preview Channel, Quality Updates Only Ideal for those who want to validate the features and fixes coming soon to their current version. Note, released feature updates will continue to be offered in accordance with configured policies when this option is selected. Note: Preview Build enrollment requires a telemetry level setting of 2 or higher and your domain registered on insider.windows.com. For additional information on Preview Builds, see: https://aka.ms/wipforbiz If you disable or do not configure this policy, Windows Update will not offer you any pre-release updates and you will receive such content once released to the world. Disabling this policy will cause any devices currently on a pre-release build to opt out and stay on the latest Feature Update once released.
Registry
Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate Value name: ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue
Enabled: ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue = 2
Disabled: ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue = 1
MDM / Intune (CSP)
./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/ManagePreviewBuilds Microsoft Learn documentation Mapping data: Microsoft Learn (CC BY 4.0)
CSP values
-
0- Disable Preview builds. -
1- Disable Preview builds once the next release is public. -
2- Enable Preview builds. -
3 (Default)- Preview builds is left to user selection.
Export Builder
BETAConfigure the state, scope and options, then generate .reg, PowerShell, Intune and SCCM outputs — or add the setting to a multi-setting collection.
These exports write the registry — this is not a managed GPO. ⓘ
.reg file
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
; Exported from gporais.com
; Policy: Manage preview builds
; State: Enabled
; Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate]
"ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue"=dword:00000002
"BranchReadinessLevel"=dword:00000002More formats (PowerShell, Intune, SCCM)
PowerShell
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage preview builds
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'BranchReadinessLevel' -Value 2 -Type DWordIntune XML
OMA-URI: ./Device/Vendor/MSFT/Policy/Config/Update/ManagePreviewBuilds
Data type: String
Value:
<enabled/>
<data id="BranchReadinessLevelId" value="2"/>Intune Remediation
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage preview builds
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'BranchReadinessLevel' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage preview builds
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'BranchReadinessLevel' -Value 2 -Type DWordSCCM scripts
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage preview builds
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
# SCCM Configuration Item guidance:
# Create a Configuration Item of type "Setting: Script".
# Discovery script: use the Detection script below.
# Remediation script: use the Remediation script below.
# Compliance rule: the Discovery script output equals 'Compliant'.
# === Detection script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage preview builds
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
function Test-RegistryValue {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Path,
[Parameter(Mandatory = $true)][string]$Name,
[object]$Expected,
[ValidateSet('String', 'DWord', 'MultiString')][string]$Kind = 'String',
[switch]$Absent
)
try {
$item = Get-ItemProperty -LiteralPath $Path -Name $Name -ErrorAction Stop
} catch {
return $Absent.IsPresent
}
if ($Absent.IsPresent) { return $false }
$actual = $item.$Name
if ($Kind -eq 'DWord') { return ([int64]$actual) -eq ([int64]$Expected) }
if ($Kind -eq 'MultiString') {
$actualValues = @($actual)
$expectedValues = @($Expected)
if ($actualValues.Count -ne $expectedValues.Count) { return $false }
for ($i = 0; $i -lt $expectedValues.Count; $i++) {
if ([string]$actualValues[$i] -ne [string]$expectedValues[$i]) { return $false }
}
return $true
}
return [string]$actual -eq [string]$Expected
}
$checks = @(
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
(Test-RegistryValue -Path 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate' -Name 'BranchReadinessLevel' -Expected 2 -Kind DWord)
)
if ($checks -notcontains $false) {
Write-Output 'Compliant'
exit 0
}
Write-Output 'Non-compliant'
exit 1
# === Remediation script ===
# Exported from gporais.com
# Policy: Manage preview builds
# State: Enabled
# Supported on: At least Windows Server 2016, Windows 10 Version 1709
$path = 'HKLM:\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\WindowsUpdate'
New-Item -Path $path -Force | Out-Null
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'ManagePreviewBuildsPolicyValue' -Value 2 -Type DWord
Set-ItemProperty -Path $path -Name 'BranchReadinessLevel' -Value 2 -Type DWordBuilding a multi-setting collection? Add this setting and generate combined .reg / PowerShell / GPO scripts.