After the discovery of a keylogger in Windows 10, Microsoft has perhaps made another own goal, forcing every PC owner to download Windows 10, even if he does not want it. Although I was unable to verify personally, it was reported by several parties how the download of the new operating system is carried out in any case, both if the user has accepted to book Windows 10 accepted by the user, and if this has ignored the request .
After an apparently normal system update, you will then see a pop-up indicating that the update to Windows 10 is ready and that you can proceed with the installation.
READ ALSO: Update your PC with Windows 10 in Italian
The practical problem with this download is that the Windows 10 installation files are stored in a hidden folder on the system disk occupying a space ranging from 3 to 6 GB .
Precisely, and it is worth checking immediately, whoever has Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 will find in the C disk a new hidden folder with the name $ WINDOWS. ~ BT .
To see hidden folders, open the folder options or File Explorer options (from the Control Panel), go to the view tab and click the "Show hidden files and folders" option.
By right clicking on $ WINDOWS. ~ BT you can check its size which can be almost 4GB if the download of Windows 10 has already taken place.
By clicking OK on the ready Windows 10 Popup, you can refuse the update even if it remains in memory.
In fact, by opening Windows Update you will find an unsuccessful update, which is Windows 10.
Basically then not only does Microsoft download the Windows 10 installation files to your computer, regardless of whether we agree, but it will still ask you to update, once again, regardless of whether this is required or not.
To prevent blocking and canceling the forced update and download of Windows 10, proceed as follows:
To stop the automatic update to Windows 10, click the Windows 10 icon, open the booking box, press on the three lines at the top left, click on " see confirmation " and then click the link to cancel the reservation.
If the installation was started by pressing OK, it can be canceled immediately after refusing the license.
To delete the already downloaded installation files, use disk cleanup.
Open a folder and then go to " This PC " to see the list of disks.
Right click on the system disk icon, go to Properties and press the Disk Cleanup button and run it by selecting all the crosses.
When it has finished, from the disk cleaning window, press the " Clean up system files " button and repeat the operation.
To disable the automatic installation of updates in Windows 7 and 8.1, open the control panel, open Windows Update and click Change settings from the sidebar.
Under Important updates, remove the recommended updates option and optionally choose to install the updates manually and not automatically.
To stop the download of the Windows 10 installation files and no longer receive an invitation to download and update the PC, there is a very effective method on Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 (although I do not recommend doing so).
By installing the KB3065987 update (for Windows 7 and Windows 8.1) you can disable and remove the GWX.exe process forever, the one that keeps the PC ready for the installation of Windows 10.
In case, out of curiosity or by mistake, Windows 10 has been installed, remember that you can always cancel the installation and return to Windows 8.1 or Windows 7 (within 30 days), without losing any programs and no personal files.
It is understandable that Microsoft wants as many people to switch to Windows 10 as soon as possible, but in this case, the end does not justify the means, and it is easy that not all of its customers want to change the operating system.
