Re: git not fetching from origin...

[Mark Polesky]

> And how do I exit the EDIT_COMMITMSG window? I've included an
> image showing the window. If I click on the X button, the whole
> git bash shell closes along with it. That can't be right.

Okay, this one I figured out. It says here
http://www.kernel.org/pub/software/scm/git/docs/git-commit.html#_environment_and_configuration_variables

The editor used to edit the commit log message will be chosen from
the GIT_EDITOR environment variable, the core.editor configuration
variable, the VISUAL environment variable, or the EDITOR
environment variable (in that order).

So I right-clicked on the Desktop "My Computer" icon -->
Properties --> Advanced --> Environment Variables --> User
variables --> New -->

Variable Name: GIT_EDITOR
Variable Value: <path to my preferred editor>

So now, 

$ git commit -a

opens my preferred editor.

One down. Maybe there's hope!
- Mark