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Daily Record
a day ago
- Daily Record
Windows 10 usership continues to rise despite ultimate deadline looming
Despite Microsoft being set to pull the plug on Windows 10 in the coming months, the software is still more popular than the newer Windows 11. Recent figures have shown that despite the end slowly looming around Windows 10, the software is still the most used operating system on the planet. This is a stark contrast to its successor Windows 11, which has seen a drop in adoption. However, Microsoft users will soon be forced to make the switch as on October 14, 2025, as Windows 10 will come to the end of its life. With this date just over four months away, you would expect users to be quick to switch to the latest operating system. Well, the latest stats from team as Statcounter have revealed that Windows 10 is still the more widely popular software, with the number of users actually seen to grow in the last month, reports the Express. The new figures show that Windows 10 currently has a 53.19 per cent share of the market, whereas Windows 11 sits lower at a 43.22 per cent share. At the start of the year, many Microsoft users made the switch to the newer system as it has seen a huge growth over the past six months. However, this growth has suddenly ceased and no one is completely sure what the cause is. It has been revealed that since March, Windows 11 has only seen a growth of less than one per cent. These stats could be very worrying to Microsoft as they are set to pull the plug on the operating system's predecessor in the coming months. For those unaware of the major shift, as of October 14 Windows 10 will no longer receive any software updates. This means users of the system won't have access to any new features or security updates. While the PCs will still work, they will be more vulnerable to bugs and cyber attacks as they won't be equipped with the latest defences. Microsoft explained: "As a reminder, Windows 10 will reach the end of support on October 14, 2025. "At this point technical assistance, feature updates and security updates will no longer be provided. If you have devices running Windows 10, we recommend upgrading them to Windows 11- a more current, in-service, and supported Windows release." The annoyance for many people is that while they have a perfectly good laptop or PC that does everything they need it to do, it will simply lose updates as it is not compatible with the shinier Windows 11. Additionally, as some people look for new devices that will still receive updates, many quality devices may end up in landfills. However, Microsoft is offering users one lifeline, but it does come with a cost. An Extended Security Updates (ESU) plan will soon be available and will offer users some security patches to try and keep their devices safe. However, in order to protect your Windows 10 PC, users will need to pay £24 per year for the added security. Microsoft does emphasise that this plan means users will receive "critical and important security updates". Executive vice president and consumer chief marketing officer at Windows, Yusaf Mehdi, explained: "We understand that some of you may require additional time while moving to a new Windows 11 PC or Copilot+ PC. During this period, you may wish to take steps to help secure your existing PC. "For the first time ever, we're introducing an ESU program for personal use as well. The ESU program for consumers will be a one-year option available for $30. Program enrollment will be available closer to the end of support in 2025." Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Yahoo
Windows 10 security risks are now more of a reality for users
It appears more and more Windows 10 users may be finally ready to let go of the legacy operating system ahead of the end of its life status on October 14. Microsoft has been urging system users to update to the latest Windows 11 software before that date and after months of ignoring the call, tens of millions of users are now opting in to the update. Figures from StatCounter indicate that the percentage of Windows 10 usage has now dipped below 60% for the first time with 58.7% of global users running the system as of February 2025. Meanwhile, stats for Windows 11 are slowly creeping up toward 40% with 38.2% of global users running this version of Microsoft's OS. Notably, StatCounter doesn't account for exactly how users transition from one software version to another. Previous research has shown that businesses, in particular, were updating to Windows 11 when they replaced hardware, as opposed to upgrading systems from Windows 11– despite having PCs with the minimum requirements to upgrade to the latest operating system. Meanwhile, many companies are marketing desktops and laptops with desirable features, such as the Copilot + AI tool in addition to Windows 11. The biggest challenge about Windows 10 reaching end of life is while Microsoft will no longer actively be developing the system it will also no longer be pushing security updates to devices running the system. This also stands to leave numerous devices vulnerable to cybersecurity threats. Microsoft plans to offer Windows 10 users a 12-month security extension for $30 to maintain the operating system beyond the allotted time. Users will have to enroll to participate in the Extended Security Updates (ESU). That enrollment time will open closer to October 14. Forbes pondered whether Microsoft can be successful at maintaining its strict directives pertaining to the Windows 10 end-of-life and its ESU timeline. However, the Verge previously noted that the company could be forced to provide free security updates for out-of-date software in extreme circumstances, such as defending against ransomware attacks. One such case happened in 2017 when an update had to be sent to the defunct Windows XP OS.
