Windows 10 Build 9901 gets leaked with tons of new UI changes and Cortana

Cortana running in Windows 10 build 9901

Development continues on Windows 10, and things are changing at a rapid pace. A new snapshot, Windows 10 build 9901, has been leaked and it’s the first to feature Cortana and a redesigned Windows Store.

It’s been known for some time that Microsoft planned to integrate their virtual assistant into Windows 10, and what you see above gives you a brief glimpse. Right click the taskbar in build 9901, and you’ll see a new entry on the context menu for search. You choose to display the icon only, the full search box, or to hide it completely. Clicking the microphone icon (or saying ‘hey Cortana’) tells Cortana you’re ready to issue a voice command. Users with preferences set on a Windows Phone will find that they’re automatically synced to the desktop search app in Windows 10.

Microsoft has also made some major changes to the Windows Store app. First and foremost, they’ve smartly decided that having separate stores is a bad idea. In Windows 10, apps, games, music, and videos will all be sold within the Windows Store. Clicking a store link to purchase something from another app will open the Windows Store in the appropriate category. For example when you click on a game in a banner ad in the new Xbox app, you’ll be taken to the games section

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In build 9901, the Xbox app looks like it’s focused on communicating with your Xbox Live friends for now. It’s an early build, though, and the app itself mentions that they’re updating it regularly. There’s plenty of time to add more functionality before the Windows 10 launch.

Winbeta posted a video walkthrough of the leaked build, which is a safer way to get a look at all the changes than downloading an unofficial installer from somewhere. In it, you’ll also see how Microsoft is integrating Metro design on the desktop and how they’re streamlining access to settings in Windows 10.