Microsoft confirmed that Windows 10 is being downloaded to computers and other devices even to users who haven't expressed interest on the upgrade.
Ignoring the little prompt from the corner of your desktop to remind you to upgrade to Windows 10 is futile since Microsoft will still push the installation of their files into your system.
Said move has upset many users of Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 since the unsolicited downloads caused them to exceed their Internet providers' data caps or it occupied a large storage space without their consent, Computer World reported.
Microsoft acknowledged the practice through a statement saying, "For those who have chosen to receive automatic updates through Windows Update, we help customers prepare their devices for Windows 10 by downloading the files necessary for future installation. This results in a better upgrade experience and ensures the customer's device has the latest software. This is an industry practice that reduces time for installation and ensures device readiness."
An Inquirer reader revealed that a ~BT folder (where the Windows 10 staging files are stored) appeared on his system despite not having "reserved" a copy of Windows 10. He said, "The symptoms are repeated failed 'Upgrade to Windows 10' in the WU update history and a huge 3.5GB to 6GB hidden folder labeled '$Windows.~BT'. I thought Microsoft [said] this 'upgrade' was optional. If so, why is it being pushed out to so many computers where it wasn't reserved, and why does it try to install over and over again?"
The size of the upgrade can range from more than 3GB to nearly 6GB and is placed in the hidden "$Windows.~BT" folder which is a long-used destination for Windows upgrades. Said folder will sit there until the user desires to install Windows 10.
Microsoft has been pre-loading the Windows 10 upgrade on systems since late July but users thought that it is only limited to PCs whose owners had accepted the free offer and "reserved" a copy through the "nag-and-notification" app.
