Microsoft is downloading Windows 10 to your machine 'just in case'

On windows 7 I have my updates set to 'tell about updates and let me install them' and the box 'treat recommended updates as critical updates' is unchecked. I have experienced no such activity from Microsoft.

A few weeks ago I downloaded an application from Microsoft essentials and it apparently checked the 'treat recommended updates as critical updates' as well as the 'allow all users to install updates' boxes. It then proceeded to install all windows 10 as well as 60 or so other updates and made my machine a misery to deal with. I thought I had a virus. I ended up reinstalling win7 with critical updates only and all is well again.