News Summary

• Statcounter’s August 2025 snapshot shows Windows 11 is the top desktop Windows version worldwide with 49.08%.
• Windows 10 is very close behind with 45.53%.
• A distance behind them, with 3.59%, sits the next closest OS, Windows 7, which itself reached end of life on January 14, 2020.
• Windows 8.1, which never really found a meaningful audience, was on 4.98%.
• It's clear from Statcounter's figures that people are far less ready for Windows 10's end oflife than they were for Windows 7's.
• Businesses can explore paid extended updates for a limited period, depending on policy, but that's really just kicking the can down the street and it could end up being super-costly.