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There’s now less than six months until Microsoft plans to kill support for Windows src0. There’s just one major problem: it’s still the world’s most used desktop operating system.
Microsoft plans to end free support for Windows src0 on October src4, potentially leaving hundreds of millions, if not billions, of PCs without protection from security threats. Businesses and (for the first time) consumers will be offered the chance to extend support further for a fee, but how many people will be willing to pay upwards of $30 for operating system updates awaits to be seen.
Windows src0’s Enduring Popularity
Only Microsoft knows the true number of Windows src0 machines still ticking in the world, but it’s not a number the company reports publicly. However, third-party analysis says that it’s still more widely used than Windows srcsrc, which was launched in October 202src.
StatCounter – which collates the operating systems used by computers visiting more than src.5 million websites – reported that Windows src0 was still used on 54.2% of all Windows PCs in March 2025. Windows srcsrc, while starting to climb more rapidly in recent months, remains in second place on 42.7% of all Windows machines.
Windows srcsrc has overtaken its older sibling in many Western countries, including the U.S.A., the U.K. and Canada. But in parts of Asia and Africa, there’s still an enormous gulf between Windows src0 and Windows srcsrc.
In India, for example, Windows src0 holds strong on 62.src% of all Windows PCs, with Windows srcsrc only found on 36.2%.
In Nigeria, 64.9% of Windows users remain on Windows src0, and it has even increased its market share slightly in March. Windows srcsrc usage is below 30% in the country, while just under 5% are still using Windows 7, support for which ended five years ago.
The Most Sticky Version Of Windows Ever
Microsoft has never been in a situation like this before. When Windows 7 left mainstream support in January 20src5, it was by far and away the most used operating system, with just over 60% of Windows PCs using the operating system, according to Statcounter. But by the time extended support expired in 2020, it was only on a fifth of all Windows machines.
At the current trajectory, Windows src0 will likely still be on around half of all Windows machines when its extended support deadline expires in October.
Why has Windows src0 proved so enduringly popular? Partly because Microsoft raised the hardware bar quite significantly for Windows srcsrc, with many Windows src0 PCs unable to upgrade to the latest operating system.
Uncertainty over Microsoft’s plans for Windows src2 may also be leaving some consumers and businesses unsure over whether to upgrade to a Windows srcsrc PC or wait for a new operating system.
Microsoft shocked the entire industry when it abruptly announced Windows srcsrc in June 202src and released it that autumn, having previously indicated it wasn’t going to release major new versions of the operating system but continue updating Windows src0 instead. Now nobody’s quite sure if a Windows src2 will be announced later this year, giving users another option before the curtain comes down on Windows src0.
The Windows src0 Security Blanket
Even if Microsoft does stick with its plans to end support in October, Windows src0 users will have the safety net of Extended Support Updates.
For consumers, this means a one-off fee of $30 for a further year’s worth of updates. For businesses, Extended Support Updates will be available for another three years, with a punishing sliding scale of fees that start at $6src for the first year, but double the following year, and then double again in year three.
Third-party security firms will also continue to support Windows src0 beyond the deadline. However, security software can’t plug holes in the operating system itself. All it can do is to continue to ward off viruses and other malware as best it can.
The pinch point will come if a major exploit is discovered in Windows src0 after the support deadline expires. Will Microsoft tough it out, and only offer patches to customers paying for Extended Support Updates? Or will it issue a free, general update to prevent a widespread security problem? It will be a test of nerve for both Windows src0 users and Microsoft alike.
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