Microsoft’s Windows 10 End‑of‑Life and the Unexpected Rise in Its Market Share

Since last year Microsoft has repeatedly emphasized that Windows 10 will be retired on 14 October 2025, ending official support, a notice prominently displayed in the Windows 10 documentation.

Contrary to expectations, Windows 10’s market share has risen sharply; Statcounter data for April 2024 shows Windows 11’s share dropping from a historic high of 28.16% in February to 25.69%, while Windows 10’s share increased by nearly 70% during the same period.

Typically a new OS version erodes the older one’s share, but Windows 11’s decline of almost three percentage points in two months highlights issues such as high hardware thresholds, intrusive ads in the Start menu, forced Edge defaults, and overall lower perceived value compared to Windows 10.

Microsoft has responded by adding a “support end” page that urges users to transition to Windows 11, linking to pages that detail Windows 11’s features, a direct Windows 10 vs Windows 11 comparison, and guidance on purchasing new laptops capable of running Windows 11.

The page also promotes Microsoft’s new devices, including the next‑generation Copilot+ PC, and offers OneDrive backup instructions to ease data migration.

For users unwilling to upgrade, the choice is either to switch to another OS such as Linux or continue using Windows 10 after its support ends, exposing their systems to security risks.

Microsoft recently announced paid Extended Security Updates (ESU) for Windows 10 in commercial, enterprise, and education sectors, costing $61 per PC for the first year and rising to $244 by the third year.

Analysts suggest that even positioning Windows 11 as an AI‑enhanced OS may not attract enough users, and some experts recommend abandoning Windows 11 altogether in favor of accelerating a future Windows 12 release that would consolidate AI features.

“Accelerate the release of Windows 12, pack all the AI goodies and new features into it, and users might be more willing to migrate, avoiding a potential ecosystem disaster.” – Allisa James

Reference links: TechRadar article on Windows 12 and TechRadar article on Windows 10 end‑of‑life warnings .