There is some good news for Microsoft on the Windows 11 enterprise adoption front as a survey of more than 750,000 Windows endpoints indicates that a healthy 88 percent of those not already running the tech giant's latest operating system are ready for an upgrade.

However, with 11 percent of those devices needing to be replaced in order to run Microsoft's latest OS, time is running out. In October 2025, the support plug will be pulled for Windows 10 for the vast majority of customers. Some biz customers will be able to keep the security updates flowing for a few more years, but the direction of travel is clear – Microsoft would like users to migrate to Windows 11.

While 88 percent of devices yet to migrate are capable of meeting Microsoft's requirements for running Windows 11, the report from [1]ControlUp , found that of the more than 750,000 devices in its sample, 82 percent were yet to make the jump.

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"The clock is ticking for enterprises to adopt the more secure and capable Windows 11, yet many organizations are stuck, unsure about their environment's readiness," said Simon Townsend, Field CTO of ControlUp. "But doing nothing is not an option. With more than four in five devices still needing to make the switch, now is the time to fully assess Windows 11 readiness to ensure a seamless transition with less downtime and disruption."

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The clock is indeed ticking. The most recent figures from [4]Statcounter indicate that while Windows 11's market share has finally crested 30 percent (30.83 percent to be precise), it is still way behind the 64.99 percent of Windows 10. If ControlUp's figures are representative of the wider enterprise world, then the desktop share of Windows 11 should accelerate once administrators hit the deploy button.

[5]Microsoft finds a new way to irritate Windows 11 users – a backup pop-up

[6]Windows Patch Tuesday update might send a user to the BitLocker recovery screen

[7]Linux Mint 22 'Wilma' still the Bedrock choice for moving off Windows

[8]Microsoft to intro checkpoint cumulative updates for Win 11

The problem faced by many administrators is justifying the move to Windows 11. Other than keeping the support lights on, there aren't many use cases where a move to Windows 11 is absolutely needed. Although the benefits of moving from Windows 7 to Windows 10 were clearer, things are muddier for Windows 11, particularly considering the training required for users, who need to get used to the changes in Start Menu as well as the need to revalidate corporate applications on the platform.

In 2022, Lansweeper's [9]research found that Microsoft's stringent hardware requirements for Windows 11 presented a challenge for upgraders. Almost two years later, more endpoints have compatible hardware, although many users are sticking with Windows 10.

So, for Microsoft, it's good news that more enterprise hardware is ready for its flagship operating system and bad news that administrators are holding off on migrating. ®

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[1] https://www.controlup.com/

[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=2ZrPujlkz04-aS1Sgk6x-DgAAAI0&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=44ZrPujlkz04-aS1Sgk6x-DgAAAI0&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0

[4] https://gs.statcounter.com/os-version-market-share/windows/desktop/worldwide

[5] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/29/microsoft_onedrive_popup/

[6] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/24/windows_update_bitlocker/

[7] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/29/linus_mint_22_wilma/

[8] https://www.theregister.com/2024/07/16/microsoft_introduces_checkpoint_cumulative_updates/

[9] https://www.theregister.com/2022/10/10/windows_11_adoption/

[10] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/