Looks like there is to be a mega change of plan with regards to the Windows app Store.
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2016/04...one_more_time/

Somebody should keep track of number of reboots MS did in app development Although this one looks relatively harmless for now.

A quick question - l have downloaded Windows 10 onto my laptop but not installed it yet. Does anybody know what is the cut-off date for the free version to be installed? I am currently using Windows 7.

Cheers in advance.

I do a lot of support work where I need to ssh from Windows to Linux systems. I can use Putty but it is very clunky. A native shell would be superbly useful for me.

How on earth does one tell the progress of a Windows update ? I have just requested the windows 10 Insider preview but how do I tell if, firstly it's even doing anything, and secondly, how far it's got ? Why do such things have to be made so mysterious ? Also, how do I know how large the download is ? As it happens I'm doing it at home with an unlimited bandwidth VM connection, but it could just as equally been on site in Kenya where I do a lot of work and every byte is slow and expensive.

As a follow up to my previous post - dumb question, but how do I find what build I am actually running. Couldn't immediately see it in any settings, I'm still a bit new to W10.

Start menu -> (right click) run -> cmd -> ver

Or just type winver into the Cortana/search box then hit Enter when it is the top result.

Microsoft say 29 July 2016, some of us think this will be extended.

I'm a old school kind of guy so i'm happy with the old ways, this windows stuff it makes the gods of the console very unhappy

It all went downhill when gods created GUI

Cortana is a thing that shouldn't be used.

You can press the Start key then begin typing and quickly find anything on your computer. It's actually extremely useful. You don't have to talk to it or call it Cortana, if that makes you feel any better.

You don't even need W10, click start and type 'version' on W7 or 8 and you see the required link near the top. With tiles suppressed by Classic Shell, naturally. If and when I get W10 and if it does the same thing, I will remain happy.

In Windows 10 if you type "version" the first result is the About screen within the Settings app, which has all the same info.
To get to the traditional 'About Windows' screen you have to type "winver".

That's not even a real word in plain English. Your average user would never guess that's what you needed to type, not very clever of MS.

Well, as I said, all the same information (including OS build) is in the new Settings app.
Settings>System>About

And 'winver' has always been what you typed into a command prompt or Run box to bring up 'About Windows'

It's been so for ages. Your average user would not know what to do with the OS version anyway.

Well when I type 'version' into the W8 search box, I get as no. 2 item: "show which operating system your computer is running" and click on that to get the version (but not the build no.). Quick, simple and logical for everyone, are you sure that doesn't happen in W10, it seems strange if it doesn't.

Winver is fine for techies who want the build number but for most people, you just want to know, say. "Windows 8.1" or whatever and it's surprising how many people don't actually know that but who occasionally might need to dig it out.

Just ask or type in Windows 10 'what is my windows version?' or 'what windows version do I have?'.
You cannot get any easier than that.

Cortana is not only voice its also runs the text search box from the backend search engine both locally and remotely.
It is a major part of Windows 10 and for me it makes the whole experience a pleasure and I use it constantly to ask many questions, open apps and progs, open specific settings, open web addresses, take notes, manage all my reminders and calendar appointments, plus many more.

Lots of Windows instuctions are now of the ask/type kind.

I pointed out from the start that the likely idea behind it is to get us integrated into using the combined search/Bing for OS commands. Cortana is part of that schema too.

I see nothing wrong with doing it their way, though I am a bit too old find it a 'pleasure'.

Nevertheless, there is nothing easier or simpler than being able to type "windows version" or just "version" as you can in W8. I find it hard to believe that you can't in W10 but hey, I haven't yet got it so must defer to those who have. 'Help... About' is another simple method that most people will be familiar with from many Windows programs and browsers, W10 ought to have that, too, maybe it has.

Cortana won't help some, as I'm sure I'm not alone in not having or using a microphone on my PC and may never have one, but who knows.

Just press Windows Key and S, Don't need Cortana turned on for that.

And typing in 'version' or 'windows version' then works?

So it's not exactly as you want it. How often one actually needs to know it? Once a year if at all? Having to spend more than a minute to find out the first time would not bother me. It's the common tasks that should be optimised, imo.