SoftwareOperating SystemsWindowsA year of constant updates to Windows 11 hasn’t done anything to shift people away from Windows 10When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

SoftwareOperating SystemsWindowsA year of constant updates to Windows 11 hasn’t done anything to shift people away from Windows 10When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows 11 2H22 update screenshots

Throughout 2023, Microsoft routinely issued updates for Windows 11 each month, fixing security problems, adding new features, andborking a few thingsalong the way. But as thelatest figures from Statcountershow, Windows 10 users just weren’t interested in the newer operating system whatsoever and it remains the OS of choice for two-thirds of all Windows PCs.

Windows 7 wasofficially retired in 2023, hence why its share went from 11% to 3.4% over the past 12 months. This is probably why Windows 11 gained some ground, as organisations switching from the 14 years old operating system would only be able to buy enterprise licenses for the latest OS.

So it will be interesting to see how well the next version of Windows,expected to be launched in Summer 2024, will be received. I should imagine that it will demand the same hardware aspects as Windows 11 and since this was the major sticking point for countless PC owners, Microsoft could well be in for another disappointment.

(Image credit: Statcounter)

A graph showing the relative worldwide market share figures for different versions of Microsoft Windows operating system

Windows 10 isn’t going to disappear overnight, as Microsoft only stopped selling licenses for it last January. There will be no major updates for the old OS, just critical security patches until the officialend of support arrives in October 2025. Even then, you’ll probably be able to pay for a few more years of patches, if you really want to stick to that operating system.

Thinking of upgrading?(Image credit: Microsoft)Windows 11 review: What we think of the latest OS.How to install Windows 11: Our guide to a secure install.Windows 11 TPM requirement: Strict OS security.

Thinking of upgrading?

(Image credit: Microsoft)Windows 11 review: What we think of the latest OS.How to install Windows 11: Our guide to a secure install.Windows 11 TPM requirement: Strict OS security.

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Windows 11 Square logo

Windows 11 review: What we think of the latest OS.How to install Windows 11: Our guide to a secure install.Windows 11 TPM requirement: Strict OS security.

In the world of PC gaming, major revisions of DirectX (the API of choice for the majority of games) were tied to new versions of Windows but as there is no sign of Microsoft planning a DirectX 13, there’s no big pull for gamers to switch to Windows 11.

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