I've an HP laptop that came shipped with Windows 7 x64. It's fully updated and updates are set to automatic. The GWX icon is active although I haven't ever reserved Windows 10. Shutting down took several hours the other day as it said it was configuring updates. The next day I checked on the C drive and there was a 6Gb folder with windows 10 in there along with varous drivers needed for the update. The folder was called $-BT~ or something similar. (not at the laptop right now). In addition checking View update history in Windows update revealed that it had altready tried to upgrade me to Windows 10 and Failed. I find this disturbing as I know for a fact I haven't even reserved the download let alone given it permission to Upgrade. Has anyone else experienced this?
Some more info here... The first time I checked the system for compatibility I noticed the wifi/Bluetooth card combo had issues with the driver. Now checking in the GWX it seems that has gone and it has without my consent installed a load of generic Microsoft drivers for the card. I deleted the 6GB $Windows.~BTfolder, but it has now been busy re-downloading it all again. Now there is only 140Mb in that folder on C but the rest resides elsewhere in the meantime. I know how much free capacity was left on the C partition and its only now finished downloading. The WU icon having gone. I note that while the taskbar icon was busy downloading the upgrade looking in windows updates revealed no activity at all. I also note that now my Activation Status and Product ID show as Not Available. My system is 100% genuine OEM Windows 7.
Thanks I will take a look. Seems this unauthorized attempt to upgrade me also removed all the System restore points before the failed upgrade too as well as corrupting my install of Kaspersky Internet Security. Really annoyed at the mess i now have to fix due to M$. My other Win 7 machines seem to be unaffected by this though.
I had intended to upgrade at a later date of my choosing and set up that laptop as a dual boot Win7/10. Was going to clone the Win 7 install then upgrade on that to get the license key then do a clean install of Win 10 on a separate partition to dual boot them. It's now recreated the full 6Gb folder on "C" which I'm going to back up to an external drive and hopefully disable the upgrade to a future date. I was under the impression though that not reserving the upgrade wouldn't download it or try to install. Also strange its only affecting this machine and not the others.
So now I've found it has done the same on another machine and also tried to install Win 10 without it even having been reserved. A friend has also just confirmed that her Win 7 machine is also trying to install the upgrade and she hasn't reserved it either. The PC's have been running awfully past few days while this has been going on. Now its back to normal i have removed and hidden the relevant updates : KB3068708 KB2952664 KB3021917 KB3035583 KB2990214 Removing the Windows 10 folder from C involved taking ownership of some of its folders and then altering the premissions of the subfolders. None of this should be necessary though. If i have chosen to to reserve the update then whu is it downloaded? Let alone trying to Install itself!!!