Microsoft gives free USB drives to some Windows Insiders for convenient system reinstallation if needed

This month, Microsoft launched the Windows Insider Canary Channel to replace the previous Skip Ahead Ring. The good news is that for enthusiasts, this channel has a higher frequency of updates, which means new features will arrive faster and can be experienced in advance.

The bad news is that for users who have already updated to Windows 11 Dev Build 25309, there is no opportunity to downgrade and the system will automatically switch to the Windows Insider Canary Channel. Users can only accept this new channel with more bugs.

Obviously, Microsoft did not plan well this time. They should have introduced the Canary Channel before releasing Build 25xxx version. Now they are making up for it by giving away free USB drives.

Microsoft sent an email to some Windows Insiders offering them a free USB drive that can be used to reinstall their system. Although Microsoft did not mention the capacity of these USB drives, they are likely 8GB which should be enough for reinstalling a system. Currently, only US users seem to have received emails about this offer; however, some Chinese users have also submitted applications after receiving emails from Microsoft.

These USB drives are limited in quantity and available on a first-come-first-served basis. After submitting shipping information, Microsoft will ship them within 6-8 weeks in the future. Considering current prices of USB drives, it's estimated that purchasing these drives cost less than shipping fees alone.