Don't press the red b-... Windows Insiders' rings hit by surprise Microsoft emission

That's 20H1 for you, 20H1 for you and 20H1 for you

Someone at Microsoft has accidentally parked a buttock on the big red button, emitting a surprise build of next year's Windows 10 to Insiders.

We saw the build, 18947, turn up over lunch where we didn't expect it and a glance at social media indicated that we weren't the only ones choking on a burrito in surprise.

Build 18947 is a 20H1 version of Windows 10, due to appear in the first half of 2020. The last "official" release of the preview code was 18941, which was so breathtakingly dull that the Windows team clearly thought it was time to spice things up by a surprise dumping onto the disks of Windows Insiders.

And, to be clear, it is only Windows Insiders that are affected.

The alarming aspect is that this build appears to be slithering its way onto a substantial proportion of Windows Insider PCs, regardless of the testing ring. Fast Ring users, who live life on the edge, expect to receive 20H1 code while Slow Ring users are currently testing 19H2. Release Preview Ring users are supposed to be on 19H1 (the May 2019 Update) for early access to fixes and patches.

Now, in an impressive levelling of the playing field, Microsoft has decided to offer 20H1 to all Windows Insider rings.

To make matters worse, Windows Central's Zac Bowden reported that the code was a canary build, lacking even the internal testing run by Microsoft before a decision is made on whether the thing should be inflicted on lucky Windows Insiders.

While the team has maintained its usual radio silence over the problem (other than a terse "We're looking into it" from Windows Insider supremo Dona Sarkar), Windows Insiders should quickly hit pause to stop the code hitting (unless they fancy skipping onto the bleeding edge of Windows 10 development).

The Register asked Microsoft what the Windows gang was up to but, in a demonstration of the legendarily terrible communication for which the Windows Insider team is famed, were told the company wouldn't be commenting on the cock-up. ®