Windows 11 made its debut in 2021, yet five years later, Microsoft appears to have come to terms with the enduring presence of Windows 10. For many dedicated users, Windows 10 is not perceived as a fading platform; rather, it remains a reliable choice, even as its extended support period winds down towards its conclusion in 2027.
This perspective is supported by data from various sources, including OEMs, IT management firms like Lansweeper, and insights from Microsoft’s recent earnings calls. While Windows may no longer be the primary revenue generator for Microsoft, it continues to serve as a critical foundation for selling enterprise products such as Microsoft 365 and Copilot. This necessity is likely driving Microsoft to rejuvenate Windows 11 in 2026, as a poorly performing operating system could adversely affect its enterprise clientele.
IT management company Lansweeper says Windows 10 just can’t die
Lansweeper, an asset tracking service that monitors real enterprise hardware, reports that Windows 10 still commands approximately 17% of the market share. This statistic indicates that roughly one in six PCs within the enterprise landscape operates on Windows 10. Unlike individual consumers, businesses have the capacity to replace PCs en masse, yet many are still hesitant to fully transition to Windows 11.
Windows 10 has not been immune to market share decline; it lost a significant portion of its users in 2025 as the end of support approached. From nearly half of all PCs running Windows 10 in early 2025, the figure plummeted to around 40% by October of that year, and has since settled at approximately 17% a year later. Notably, sectors such as healthcare, pharmaceuticals, and consumer retail account for a substantial portion of this unsupported estate, raising concerns about security vulnerabilities as the gap in risk between Windows 10 and Windows 11 widens.
Windows 10 and Windows 11’s current market share based on enterprise PC data
| Metric | Number |
|---|---|
| Windows 10 share | 16.9% |
| Windows 11 share | 78.8% |
| Active CVEs on Windows 10 | 1,903 |
| Active CVEs on Windows 11 | 652 |
| Windows 10 vulnerability gap | 2.9× higher |
The outlook for Windows 10’s market share seems stable, as neither Microsoft nor OEMs anticipate a sudden decline. Lansweeper echoes this sentiment, noting, “Windows 10 still runs on 16.9% of Windows clients, and they are proving stubborn. The easy migrations are done. What’s left is the hard core: devices that haven’t moved because they can’t, or won’t.”
Among businesses, who is actually using Windows 10?
| Group | Windows 10 share |
|---|---|
| Healthcare & pharma | 23.0% |
| Consumer & retail | 22.7% |
| SMBs | 21.4% |
| Manufacturing | 18.0% |
| Enterprises | 16.6% |
How risky is Windows 10 compared to Windows 11 despite the ESU?
| Risk | Number |
|---|---|
| High or critical CVEs | 66.6% |
| Known exploited CVEs | 2.4% |
| Exploitability vs Windows 11 | 1.7× higher |
| Industrial firms hit by security incidents | 43% |
Among the 17% of PCs still operating on Windows 10, approximately 14% are receiving Extended Security Updates (ESU). This leaves about 2% of PCs running an unsupported and vulnerable operating system. Lansweeper highlights the disparity in security, stating, “A Windows 10 device carries an average of 1,903 active CVEs, against 652 on Windows 11. That’s a 2.9x gap, and it widens with every Patch Tuesday that fixes Windows 11 and leaves Windows 10 untouched.”
HP confirms Windows 10 refuses to die
In quarterly financial reports, HP has also acknowledged the persistence of Windows 10, revealing that at least 30% of its installed base continues to rely on the outdated operating system. This trend aligns with the notion that those who have sought to upgrade for various reasons, such as gaming, have largely transitioned away from Windows 10, leaving behind a core group of steadfast users.
“We did see good growth in both EMEA and APJ this quarter. And some of that was driven by the expected tailwinds from Win 11. And I would say, at this point, we have roughly 30% of the installed base still on Windows 10,” stated Karen L. Parkhill, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer at HP. While HP acknowledges that the Windows 11 refresh cycle is stimulating PC sales in regions like Asia and Europe, the challenge remains in persuading users to abandon Windows 10 in favor of Windows 11.
HP remains optimistic that the remaining Windows 10 holdouts will eventually need to upgrade, viewing the 30% of the installed base yet to be refreshed as a potential opportunity. “One, still Windows 11, 30% of the installed base is still to be refreshed. So, that’s one tailwind, which we see as an opportunity in the short run,” remarked Ketan Patel, President of HP’s Personal Systems business. “But in both the short run and long run, as a lot of customers are moving workloads to the edge with the rising cost of accessing AI, that’s a great opportunity.”
What is Microsoft telling us about Windows 10’s market share?
Microsoft has officially stated that Windows is active on 1.6 billion PCs worldwide, a staggering figure that does not necessarily indicate a mass migration away from Windows 10. The company refrains from providing detailed breakdowns of Windows usage share, but a recent statement in its quarterly report supports the observations made by HP and Lansweeper. Microsoft noted a 7% decrease in Windows OEM and Devices revenue, alongside a 5% drop in Windows OEM revenue, attributing this decline to lower PC market demand and the diminishing effects of the Windows 10 end-of-support boost.
As the remaining Windows 10 users continue to resist change and the anticipated boom in AI PCs has yet to materialize, the momentum that previously propelled Windows 11 growth appears to be waning. Microsoft has leveraged its most potent strategy—ending support—to encourage users to transition, yet the reality is that a significant portion of the Windows 10 user base seems resolute in their choice, regardless of the warnings or incentives presented.
