Microsoft has already clarified its plans to end support for Windows 10 in 2025, and the operating system will stop receiving updates and support in just eighteen months. However, StatCounter’s report shows that Windows 10 gained almost 1% market share between January 2024 and February 2024.
Windows 10’s desktop market share climbed from 66.74% in January to 67.26% in February 2024. The current stats depict that users aren’t upgrading to Windows 11 as Microsoft thought they would, despite the End of Support (EOS) date announcement.
The stern hardware requirements are a major factor behind this slow transition, even after 2 and a half years of Windows 11 release. Windows 11 needs TPM 2.0, Secure Boot, and UEFI support, and older PCs lack in one or more of these three areas. So, it is a major obstruction to upgrading to Windows.
Our analysis of StatCounter data reveals some interesting tidbits:
- Windows 10 had a small increase in market share, going up from 66.47% in January to 67.26% in February.
- Windows 11’s market share grew, but only a little, from 27.83% to 28.16% over the same period.
- Windows 7 saw a tiny uptick from 3.05% to 3.1%, which could be an error connection, or more older PCs were browsing the websites using StatCounter.
- Windows 8.1 experienced a noticeable drop, falling from 1.73% to just 0.65%.
- Windows XP share slightly decreased from 0.57% to 0.52%.
- Windows 8’s presence in the market also shrank a bit, going from 0.26% to 0.22%.
So why is the adoption of Windows 11 slower than Windows 11? There are a couple of reasons, but the primary reason is hardware support.
Of course, tech-savvy users can modify the registry entries while clean installing Windows 11. Or, you can use Rufus to prepare a Windows 11 installation media that bypasses Secure Boot and TPM 2.0 requirements.
However, not all users are capable of tweaking the ISO file or registry to install Windows 11 on their unsupported PCs. They prefer to upgrade without resorting to clean installations and other such tricks. Meanwhile, some users stick to the old Windows operating system because they hate the adware, missing features, and instability of Windows 11.
Microsoft is inviting more people to try Windows 11
Windows 11 upgrade pop-ups have already begun reappearing on eligible Windows 10 devices. It displays a multi-page carousel touting the benefits of upgrading, but Microsoft has plans to ramp up the efforts.
In a blog post for businesses, Microsoft confirmed that Windows PCs using Winodws Update for Business and WSUS will see the upgrade pop-ups after the April 2024 security update.
In addition to consumers, the popups will appear on business PCs after users log in to their devices. However, some people aren’t happy with Microsoft’s announcement. Some argue that sticking to a specific operating system is an organization’s decision, and abrupt upgrades can hinder workflow.
While Windows 10 is officially supported until October 2025, Microsoft offers to extend the support date for a fee. The price is unclear because Microsoft plans to reveal it when the EOS date is close. However, if you love Windows 10 that much, you can opt for the renewal program to continue getting security updates for up to three years.
