Ten months before the official withdrawal date of Windows 10, the operating system remains by far the most popular version of Windows, with a slightly increasing market share.
62.7% of Windows systems worldwide run Windows 10 and only 34.12% run Windows 11, according to Statcounter data, based on December 2024. A month earlier, Windows 10’s market share was 61.83%; in October it was 60.95%.
End of decline
October was also immediately the last month in which Windows 10 usage percentage declined and Windows 11 usage percentage increased, according to the figures. So, about 10 months before Microsoft stops Windows 10 updates, more systems appear to be running the OS instead of fewer.
Statcounter’s numbers are difficult to verify, because Microsoft does not share its official statistics. In general, though, they show a reliable trend based on data from computers visiting any of the 1.5 million websites in the Statcounter network. These numbers at least show that Windows 10 remains immensely popular, and that there is little incentive to update in large numbers despite the deadline looming.
Three options
On October 14, 2025, Microsoft will stop updates for Windows 10. Those who want to stay safe have a limited number of updates. Either you can update Windows 11, but Microsoft has deliberately artificially limited this possibility by attaching certain unique requirements to the installation of the operating system. As a result, many older systems are left behind. On October 14, they become garbage, even though they are capable of running Windows 11.
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Microsoft does not deny this. Somewhat ironically, and likely in an effort to boost Windows 11 usage, Redmond announced in early December that you can effectively bypass the minimum system requirements, at your own risk. Updating this way is an option.
The third and final option for those who want to stay safe is to give money to Microsoft. In exchange for a fee, businesses can purchase several years of additional support. For the first time, there is also a formula for individuals.
Choose or lose
Over the next ten months, consumers and businesses still using Windows 10 should consider at least one of these three options. Staying inactive is a significant risk. After all, as with the retirement of Windows 7 and Windows XP, critical security updates stop. Those who continue to use such a system are at ever greater risk of falling victim to malware.
Belgium shows above-average results. In our country too, Windows 10 remains the most important and has stopped losing market share, but the difference with Windows 11 is much smaller: 50.95% against 46.59%. It’s still a little better than the Netherlands, with 55.05% for Windows 10 compared to 43.59% for Windows 11. France follows the overall trend more: 61.18% compared to 35.96%.
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