When Microsoft said it wanted to push out Windows 10 to everyone for free it wasn’t kidding. It said that for the first year Windows 10 will be a free update for those who had reserved the OS update. But what happens to people who haven’t opted to reserve their copy of Windows? Well, as Windows 10 works on every PC running Windows 7 and beyond, Microsoft has started downloading installation files of the OS on PCs that have automatic updates enabled, even if you haven’t reserved the update.

Microsoft’s KB3035583 update is at the heart of the issue, because it causes the automatic download of the OS files in a bid to get the system ready for an update. Now, the scary bit is many may not know about this. A report on the Inquirer claimed that it found a new hidden Windows directory, which was consuming as much as 6GB of memory, which is approximately, the same amount as a Windows 10 installation.

Microsoft too has confirmed this.

“For individuals who have chosen to receive automatic updates through Windows Update, we help upgradable devices get ready for Windows 10 by downloading the files they’ll need if they decide to upgrade. When the upgrade is ready, the customer will be prompted to install Windows 10 on the device,” said the company in an official statement.

The big takeaway here is that even with automatic updates on you may not expect a full blown OS update. You may just have it on for security patches and bug fixes. A new operating system brings aboard interface changes, which a user may or may not like or would be unwilling to re-learn things.

From Microsoft’s point of view, it wants all of its users to be on the latest version of Windows and hence it is trying its level best to push it to its users out there.