Windows 7 marketshare jumps to nearly 10% as Windows 10 support is about to end

Windows 10 support is ending in only two weeks, and with a new month here, Statcounter has new data about the Windows market and how different versions perform. This month, the data is rather odd: Statcounter reports that Windows 10 dropped to a seven-year low, while Windows 7 is experiencing a sudden influx of users.

Right off the bat, it is worth noting that Statcounter cannot be 100% accurate, and only Microsoft, with its abundant telemetry, can tell more-or-less precise data. Statcounter uses its trackers across 1.5 million websites, so there is a margin for error. Still, Statcounter's data is useful for tracking trends and how various services perform over time. Therefore, take this information with a grain of salt.

With only two weeks of support ahead, Windows 10's market share dropped to 40.5%, which is the lowest since October 2017, when Windows 7 was still the most popular Windows version. Speaking of Windows 7, Statcouter reports a jump all the way to pre-January 2023 levels (when Microsoft ended the Extended Security Updates program), with it now holding 9.61%. It is hard to imagine millions of PCs suddenly switching from one outgoing operating system to an even older release, so at this point, one can only guess what is behind this unexpected spike.

As for Windows 11, Statcounter reports that the system's worldwide share is at 49.05%, just a little less than in August 2025.

Microsoft is ending mainstream Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025. After that date, users are encouraged to enroll their devices in the Extended Security Updates program for free, which will grant them twelve more months of security updates and plenty of time to plan an upgrade to something supported. Meanwhile, enterprise users can get up to three years of paid security updates.

You can learn more about everything you need to know about the end of Windows 10 support in our dedicated guide.