Windows 10 Support Ending in One Year. System Still Dominates Windows 11 in Popularity
The end of Windows 10 support will come next year. So it's worth considering switching to „eleven,” although Microsoft is not making the decision any easier.
This May, Microsoft announced that on October 14, 2025 security support for Windows 10 will end. This means there's only a year left, and Microsoft may soon start encouraging users to upgrade to a newer version of the operating system. However, Windows 11, despite its growing popularity, is still far behind Windows 10, and recent updates have not worked to its advantage (see Tom's Hardware).
It's decision time for Windows 10 users.
It's been 3 years since the premiere of Windows 11. However, the operating system has not yet reached the popularity level of Windows 10, which according to Stat Counter is still used by over 60% of PC owners. Only 35% of users had 11 Windows installed. There is a rising trend visible here, but it probably still doesn't satisfy Microsoft.
One of the reasons why people don't switch to Windows 11 are the hardware requirements. Theoretically, they are not high (the minimum is 4 GB of RAM and a 1 GHz dual-core processor), but the problem is the requirement to have a TPM 2.0 module. This affects owners of older laptops and desktop computers, because in the past, motherboards did not have this module as built-in feature - it had to be purchased separately.
Netizens are resorting to various solutions to activate Windows 11 on computers without a TPM 2.0 module. One of the more popular methods was to trick the system installer into thinking it was dealing with a server, but Microsoft blocked activation in August of this year. The Windows 11 updates also do not help users in making decisions.
Recently, there have been many of them and they are related, among others, to problems with compatibility with the Easy Anti-Cheat app and disconnecting peripherals after updating to Windows 11 24H2. Broader integration with AI is also a source of controversy - namely in the context of violating the privacy of PC owners.
Either way, it's worth remembering that Windows 10 will soon cease to be secure due to the lack of further security updates. Of course, it will still be possible to use it, just like you can still use Windows 7, but over time it will become increasingly less safe. If we need Windows 10 to work for certain applications, the solution is to use a virtual machine.
Besides, there is always Linux in reserve, if we are ready to learn how to use a new operating system. If you have saved money, you can switch to the macOS system from Apple or buy a new computer with pre-installed Windows 11. One can also wait to see if Microsoft decides to change the hardware requirements for its latest system.
