diff --git a/tools/top.mk b/tools/top.mk
index 84523a557..cefe9884c 100644
--- a/tools/top.mk
+++ b/tools/top.mk
@@ -1,30 +1,41 @@
 ifneq ($(lastword a b),b)
-$(error This Makefile require make 3.81 or newer)
+$(error This Makefile requires make 3.81 or newer)
 endif
 
 # Detect whether shell style is windows or not
 # https://stackoverflow.com/questions/714100/os-detecting-makefile/52062069#52062069
 ifeq '$(findstring ;,$(PATH))' ';'
-CMDEXE := 1
+# PATH contains semicolon - so we're definitely on Windows.
+CMDEXE := 1# makefile shell commands should use syntax for DOS CMD, not unix sh
+# Unfortunately, SHELL may point to sh or bash, which can't accept DOS syntax.
+# $(info top.mk: SHELL=$(SHELL))
+# We can't just use sh, because while sh and/or bash shell may be available,
+# many Windows environments won't have utilities like realpath used below, so...
+SHELL := cmd.exe# Force DOS command shell on Windows.
 endif
 
+#$(info top.mk: SHELL=$(SHELL))
+#$(info top.mk: CMDEXE=$(CMDEXE)...)
+
 # Set TOP to be the path to get from the current directory (where make was
 # invoked) to the top of the tree. $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST)) returns
 # the name of this makefile relative to where make was invoked.
+THIS_MAKEFILE := $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))# this makefile is the one most recently appended to the list of makefiles
+TOP := $(patsubst %/tools/top.mk,%,$(THIS_MAKEFILE))# strip off /tools/top.mk to get for example ../../..
+#$(info top.mk: Initial TOP=$(TOP))
 
-THIS_MAKEFILE := $(lastword $(MAKEFILE_LIST))
-TOP := $(patsubst %/tools/top.mk,%,$(THIS_MAKEFILE))
-
+# Set TOP to an absolute path, for example /tinyUSB (from ../../..)
 ifeq ($(CMDEXE),1)
 TOP := $(subst \,/,$(shell for %%i in ( $(TOP) ) do echo %%~fi))
 else
 TOP := $(shell realpath $(TOP))
 endif
-#$(info Top directory is $(TOP))
+#$(info top.mk: Top directory is $(TOP))
 
+# Set CURRENT_PATH to the relative path from TOP to the current directory, ie examples/device/cdc_msc_freertos
 ifeq ($(CMDEXE),1)
 CURRENT_PATH := $(subst $(TOP)/,,$(subst \,/,$(shell echo %CD%)))
 else
 CURRENT_PATH := $(shell realpath --relative-to=$(TOP) `pwd`)
 endif
-#$(info Path from top is $(CURRENT_PATH))
+#$(info top.mk: Path from top is $(CURRENT_PATH))