Microsoft seems to be getting Windows 10 ready for release

Microsoft already seems to have quietly started rolling out Windows 10 on Tuesday. Windows users who previously registered for the update report that they have a hidden folder on their system, in which Microsoft’s latest operating system appears to be ready.

This is the hidden folder $windows.~BT , which is about 6GB in size and located on the disk where Windows is installed. The folder will appear as soon as ‘hidden items’ is checked in the explorer. The directory contains, among other things, a setup and several boot files. Not everyone who has signed up for Windows 10 will see the folder yet.

Some users worldwide are warning that the setup in the folder should not be started for the time being. Once that happens, all the files in the folder would disappear. It seems that Microsoft has already prepared its latest operating system, but will not install it until Windows 10 is officially released.

Windows 10 will be released on Wednesday in 190 countries and 111 languages. Microsoft promises that Windows 7 and Windows 8.1 users will receive a free update, provided they run that update within the next year. Thanks to that approach, a large majority of users would soon be on the latest version of Windows, something that in the past took a long time.

The latest desktop operating system from the American technology company, which will also be available on USB sticks, includes speech assistant Cortana, the new browser Edge and more connectivity between the Xbox and desktop. Windows 10 will receive security updates through at least October 2025.