Recover old version of Weather app?

[soubeagi]

I'm one of those people who doesn't like having my computer suddenly change how it works just because some programmer somewhere thought it would be a good idea, so I set everything to look for updates, but not download or install them without my prior knowledge and consent.

Recently, I noticed that the preinstalled Weather app wanted to be updated. I rarely use this app except for a quick glance at the live tile, but at the same time there were other TIFKAM apps wanting updates, so I went into the Windows Store app to see what was being changed about each of them. When I read the reviews for the Weather app, I saw that many people were complaining about Microsoft having removed a feature that allowed users to obtain weather forecasts from multiple sources and compare them.

First of all, if I had known that such a feature existed, I might have made more use of this app; and secondly, while it's a sure bet that I'll lose this ability if I allow this app to update, for all I know, some previous update may have already removed the feature from my copy. My questions:

- Does anybody know how this feature is/was activated, so I can check to see whether the currently installed version of this app still has this feature?

- Is it possible to recover or reinstall old versions of an app - or to copy apps from one computer to another? (In an unrelated incident from several months ago, I lost several apps that are no longer downloadable from the Windows Store, so I'm also curious to know if there's any chance of restoring them - maybe from somebody who still has them on their computer. Personally, I think there's no way this distribution method for apps will ever become popular unless issues like these are addressed.)

 

[Nuccii]

Metro apps from the Store are not handled the same way as Windows Updates. As soon as the publisher issues an update it is automatically done so in the Store unless you choose not to let it happen. See this site to change the setting.
Turn on automatic app updates - Windows Help

You cannot download a prior version from the Store and you cannot transfer them from somebody else's computer Should you wish a prior version, visit the publishers web site to see if they are still available. As far as the feature you are talking about, I cannot answer. Perhaps someone else will know and advise you.

 

[soubeagi]

Metro apps from the Store are not handled the same way as Windows Updates. As soon as the publisher issues an update it is automatically done so in the Store unless you choose not to let it happen. See this site to change the setting.
Turn on automatic app updates - Windows Help

I am already aware of this; as I apparently didn't state clearly enough in my original post, I turned this off on day one. (I probably wouldn't have known about the uproar regarding this app if I hadn't - especially since app reviews aren't visible except within the Windows Store app itself.)

You cannot download a prior version from the Store

Bummer.

and you cannot transfer them from somebody else's computer

I strongly suspect that this is not true, but rather what Microsoft wants people to think. I also think that the main reason nobody's figured out the exact way to do it has more to do with the unpopularity of TIFKAM than anything else.

Should you wish a prior version, visit the publishers web site to see if they are still available.

Given that this and almost all of the TIFKAM apps on my computer are published by Microsoft, this is useless advice.

As far as the feature you are talking about, I cannot answer. Perhaps someone else will know and advise you.

I will try to refrain from updating this app until someone more knowledgeable finds this topic - although more recent reviews seem to imply that older versions of the app will refuse to run when they detect that a newer version is available.