Windows 11 leads as October looms, but millions still cling to Windows 10
- Reference: 1754312415
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/08/04/windows_11_market_share/
- Source link:
The figures from [1]Statcounter indicate a gap is opening up between the two OSes. Many versions of Windows 10 are set to reach the end of free standard support from October 14, prompting Microsoft to relentlessly push Windows 11 as the way forward. However, the new OS is infamously incompatible with hardware perfectly capable of running its predecessor.
For many enterprises, an uphill struggle remains to get Windows 11 on desktops before Microsoft pulls the support plug or admit defeat and purchase an Extended Security Update (ESU) subscription to keep the lights on for a little longer.
[2]
Thomas MacKenzie, director of product strategy at Lansweeper, told The Register that the challenge was more about execution than awareness. "Many organizations face complex upgrade paths due to legacy applications, hardware incompatibilities, etc.
[3]
[4]
"Some businesses may have migration plans in motion, but others are at greater risk of falling behind, especially in sectors like healthcare and manufacturing, where device refresh cycles tend to be longer or where changes may require some form of type approval.
"The reality is that millions of businesses are still running Windows 10 with just months to go before end-of-life."
[5]
MacKenzie noted that for many affected businesses, the ESU program would serve as little more than a "short-term buffer" to buy some extra time. "ESU is a fallback, not a strategy, and most IT leaders know this."
[6]Consumers can pick up a free year of ESU, although they will need to either redeem some Microsoft Rewards points to do so or sync their settings to the cloud via Windows Backup. Microsoft has yet to extend the same generosity to corporate customers signed up to Microsoft 365.
[7]We're number 1! Windows 11 finally overtakes Windows 10
[8]Windows 11 migration heats up... on desktops
[9]Windows 11 market share stalls ahead of Windows 10 cutoff
[10]Windows 11 poised to beat 10, mostly because it has to
MacKenzie told us: "There's no precedent for Microsoft 365 customers receiving free ESU. When support ended for Windows 7, ESUs were available as a paid add-on, even to Microsoft 365 users. The only exception was for customers using Windows Virtual Desktop (now Azure Virtual Desktop), where ESUs were included, but that was tied to the virtual platform, not to 365.
"Microsoft hasn't signaled any intention to offer free ESUs for Windows 10, and while it's always possible under pressure, organizations should plan around what's confirmed rather than hoping for a policy shift."
While Statcounter is not a perfect measure of market share – it relies on tracking code installed on more than 1.5 million sites globally – it is a useful indicator of trends in the absence of official telemetry from Microsoft.
[11]
The latest figures show that Windows 11's market share continues to increase, growing to 53.51 percent of desktop Windows market share worldwide. In contrast, Windows 10 declined to 42.88 percent, after both operating systems reached parity last month.
Yet with just over two months until the retirement of many editions of Windows 10, the software will likely remain a significant factor in the plans of enterprises for months, or even years to come, after free standard support ends in October. ®
Get our [12]Tech Resources
[1] https://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/windows/desktop/worldwide
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aJDZBzSDfC_4SyVw9YQnOQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aJDZBzSDfC_4SyVw9YQnOQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aJDZBzSDfC_4SyVw9YQnOQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aJDZBzSDfC_4SyVw9YQnOQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/25/microsoft_free_esu_tier/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/07/04/windows_11_market_share/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/20/windows_11_migration_heats_up/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/06/03/windows_11_market_share/
[10] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/04/windows_11_market_share/
[11] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_software/oses&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aJDZBzSDfC_4SyVw9YQnOQAAAEg&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[12] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
I have neither sympathy nor respect for any organization that couldn't get it done with the nearly TWO YEARS warning Microsoft gave. None.
I do have some sympathy for them. Migrating bespoke internal applications is a bitch. Double so if those where developed in the 2000,XP, vista, 7 or 8.x years, and remainede compatible with hacks and shims for years, and suddenly, 11 was the last straw.
See, for example, starbreed, a gane released in 1998 that had an error on its code, that only became apparent with the extra security (probably VBS) of win11
Also, some ISVs jack up the prices astronomically when a OS will losse support, so orgs want to strech the update a few years, maybe they will catch one or 2 versions more when they move at the end of the ESU.
Some other ISVs simply lost interest on the product and orphaned it$ others simply went broke.
Not everyone is just runnong office and a browser and "that's it"
Organizations are complexM and migration plans are complex too.
"an uphill struggle remains to get Windows 11 on desktops"
Don't you mean : OFF desktops ?
Because I would do anything to get as far away from that piece of shiat OS...
Re: "an uphill struggle remains to get Windows 11 on desktops"
Reading el reg, one would believe that *nix markeshare on desktop worldwide is close to 90%. Yet linux is at around 6%, macos is at 10%and the other BSDs are negligible. Why wold that be?
Linux, macos, windows. They are tools$ those tools are a means to an end. And that end is to run the apps you and your organization wants/needs.
All the rest is bullshit, posturing and zealottery.
For what is worth, my desktop is mac, i bootcamp to windows to play, and my servers are linux.
I will not use a flathead screwdriver to remove a philips, and i will not use a flathead screwdriver as a chisel.
A chaque metier son OS.
Abomination
My work laptop got updated (it is definitely not an upgrade) last week and it has convinced me to finally make the switch to one of the Linux distros for my personal devices. We have nothing M$ specific so it should be fairly painless.
I don't want this spyware ad-slinger that masquerades as an operating system on my home devices (I have managed to pretty much clean up the Win 10 installations).
The UI is horrendous, lots of settings are even further buried in obscure locations (even getting back a reasonable UI took 2 hours of digging), some apps are totally different (paint, for example which has been infected by the AI kool-aid. As a simple tool for grabbing an image and marking it up, the old paint did a good job - not so much the new version where common commands are now not on the toolbar at all such as crop).
The work laptop has to have some flavour of Windows as I have CAD tools that are only available for Windows and I am being paid to use it, so I will simply put up with the slowdown caused by having to make more selections to get a particular application up and running.
So in a way, the work experience was useful and tipped me over the edge of waving goodbye to Windows on my personal devices.
Re: Abomination
Congrats on your future belonging to the ilumminated 5% using linux. We salute you.
Feel free to look at the windows and mac peasants over the shoulder, and walk with your head so high that your big brain can be seen through your nostrils.
As for me, i'll keep using my mac desktop for work, bootcamping for fun and games, and running linux on my servers.
These are OSs. Not religions. These OSsd are tools. Thou shall use the OS that is best for you. But while disparaging the other OSs will earn you points from the feeble minded, that should mean nothing for a samrt person, and therefore, shall not be done.
Re: Abomination
This is not a religious view nor do I look either up or down at other operating systems and users. They are using what they wish and I am going to use something that meets my needs.
I have used Linux (and written a significant amount of code for it) on and off for over 25 years. I know it has its 'quirks' but generally it just gets things done, which is exactly what I need. I had to talk to SWMBO to make sure she wouldn't have an issue with it.
windows server 2022 with desktop experience to the rescue
So, you have a top of the line 6th or 7th gen i9 or a top of the line threadripper ZEN or ZEN+ with globs of RAM and superdupper NVMe drives that does not qualify for win11?
Or even better, a superduper server grade system as your desktop, with a botload of cores, ram and NVMe that just mised the cut for win?
Well, WinServer 2022 with desktop experience is here to save the day. Legal to get without volume licenses. Supported until early 2033. Keys are abundant in reputable sites where keys are sold. The requirements for processor and TPM are very much relaxed compared to Win11.
WinServer22DE is a weird mix of the Win11's kernel with Win10's desktop.
Wait! What?!you are salty because win11 not support your core i3 first gen with 4GB of ram and a spinning drive that, according to you, should be "perfectly adequate" for the security and performance requirements of now up until 2021?
Sorry, i can not help you with the problem you have....
Re: windows server 2022 with desktop experience to the rescue
Back in the day, (Before XP SP2) I had a similar win2003* server desktop at home for a time. It was nice, but my employer furnished new Apple computers so I only used it for Midtown Madness!
*My boss at the time ran Win2000 advanced server as his desktop in the office.
Debian 13 (Trixe) is out on Friday
I was vaguely aware of the need to migrate my significant others dell laptop to Linux as it doesn’t meet the standard for win 11.
It has an i7 16gb ram but it’s an older i7 and it has tpm 1.0 so no dice.
I was all set to install Debian bookworm this weekend after backing up her users folder (which involved disabling UAC to do it over the network as me, yes I do know her password but that’s not the point it should work for an admin on a pro edition!)
I was pleasantly surprised upon checking Debian releases to find Trixe (Debian 13) is expected on Friday. So I will put off running the Debian installer selecting xfce installing whisker menu, Qterminal, libreoffice, thunderbird… until Trixe wanders in.
Tux because there is no dinosaur icon
I hate Windows 11 24H2
Hardware tested - Hardware fine - even with a new SSD installed.
Windows 11 24H2 not fine, again, again and again.
I thought I sorted it the last time, and the last time before that, and the last time before that, and the last time before that, and the last time before that, and so on.
Every time MS - I now hate Windows 11 24H2 - can't trust any cumulative update.
Wasted so much time, on this useless piece of crap.
This time it won't update again without crashing. Repair install doesn't help, even if it does manage to reach 100%.
Reset, will work, but it's a case of yet again re-installing all my apps, wasting even more time, and can take several days, to get back to how I want it.
Then, the damn network drives, will all need remapping- it's getting very boring now MS.
You name it I've tried to fix a computer that worked perfectly well in Windows 11 23H2.
Perhaps I'll just say f*** it - wipe Windows, and move to Linux
Sick of this MS
S1
Bah, humbug
The machines running Win10 at the office will continue to run Win10 for a while. Over time the ones we want to keep will either be moved to Ubuntu or moved to a subnetwork which has no internet access and locked down thoroughly. New machines are either Macs or Ubuntu systems. Win11 will not be allowed on my network.
Fuck off, MS. And take your spyware with you. (Note: the Win10 systems are as spyware-free as we can make them. It’s just a lot more effort to de-spyware Win11 and we’re not even going to try.)