Nearly half of all desktop PCs now run Windows 11, Chrome widens lead in browsers

[Shawn Knight]

In brief: Windows 11 is now the most popular version of Microsoft's desktop operating system worldwide, and has been for a couple of months now. According to the latest data from StatCounter, Win 11's global market share sat at 49.02 percent as of the end of August 2025.

The next most popular OS, Windows 10, accounts for 45.65 percent of all Microsoft desktop operating system installations.

While the Windows 11 figures are encouraging, Microsoft no doubt has to be concerned with the high percentage of Win 10 installs – especially considering the aging operating system is set to reach official end-of-life status on October 14, 2025. After this date, Microsoft will no longer provide the OS with feature and security updates... well, sort of.

Time is ticking for those still running Windows 10 devices. Users are encouraged to either update their devices to Windows 11 or replace them with newer hardware that comes with Win 11 already installed. Microsoft offers plenty of literature to help determine if your existing machine is capable of running Windows 11.

Should you need more time to figure out your upgrade strategy, Microsoft will offer an extended security updates (ESU) program that affords consumers additional protection for Windows 10 devices for one extra year after the EOL date.

For those curious, Microsoft's venerable Windows 7 has a market share of just 3.54 percent. Its replacement, Windows 8, is installed on only 1.13 percent of desktops worldwide while Windows 8.1 has a paltry 0.23 percent market share.

In related news, Google continues to widen the gap between its Chrome desktop browser and offerings from the competition. According to StatCounter's latest data, Chrome is used on 70.25 percent of desktops worldwide. The next closest competitor, Microsoft's Edge browser, has an 11.8 percent share.

Apple's Safari ranks third with 6.34 percent of the market followed by Mozilla's Firefox with a 4.94 percent share. Opera is found on 2.06 percent of machines and Brave is used on 1.48 percent of desktops.

Image credit: Triyansh Gill, Bolivia Inteligente

Permalink to story:

Nearly half of all desktop PCs now run Windows 11, Chrome widens lead in browsers

 

[MakeMSGreatAgain]

That’s disgusting… I used to like Windows, but I hate it now. Same with Chrome… I prefer Linux or MacOS and Firefox. I’m just so tired of M$FT’s junkware that continues to be harder to use and harasses you constantly. As for Chrome, well I don’t agree with how Google is treating people so they can burn. What happened to “don’t be evil”?

 

[seeprime]

Not true. Half of Windows PCs run 11. Windows is down to 70% desktop/laptop market share. Macs are half of the rest

 

[Anton Longshot]

I'll switch to Win 10 LTSC before October rears its ugly head.
And hope to have enough money some time soon to switch to Apple.

Sadly while Mint looked good on my Thinkpad it turned out to be more annoying than useful so I'm going back to Win 10 on that box too until Apple.

 

[GeoffreyA]

I'll switch to Win 10 LTSC before October rears its ugly head.
And hope to have enough money some time soon to switch to Apple.

Sadly while Mint looked good on my Thinkpad it turned out to be more annoying than useful so I'm going back to Win 10 on that box too until Apple.

I installed a fresh ISO of W10 in July, non-LTSC, and enabled ESU with MAS. It's for at least three years but should go up to six. With OpenShell, ShutUp10, and AppBuster, everything is working like a charm.

 

[Taroo]

That installation of a Linux disto on the last PC I have running only Windows is upcoming too. Bye, 'crosoft. It was fun, for a while.

 

[SoCalMart]

After months of deliberation [and watching a ton of videos and reading articles], I decided to install Linux [Mint 22] on my older, but still perfectly running Thinkcentre M900 tower. So far, so good. Since there were a couple of programs that will only run on Windows OS [e.g: Photoshop], I also installed Virtual Box, which enables me to run my "old" W10 on the side whenever I need it. I know, it takes some time and effort to get the hang of Linux, but it was worth it for me.

 

[netman]

"Windows 10 reaches end-of-life status in October"

No its not...! My 8.1 pro daily driver is live and well for so many years passed support...! So could Win 10...!

 

[CajunMoses]

I used to like Windows. Same with Chrome… I prefer Linux or MacOS and Firefox. As for Chrome, well I don’t agree with how Google is treating people so they can burn. What happened to “don’t be evil”?

We all have personal tastes and situations. Personally, I don't use Windows on any device that I own. For now, my top OS is ChromeOS. My top Linux distro is currently Fedora Kinoite. For now, my favorite Web browser is Chrome, obviously, since I mostly use a Chromebook. In my experience, Google treats people just as well or better than any other large corporation that is struggling to remain competitive. Microsoft, on the other hand, is truly evil.

 

[JSabin]

People who think have the "latest and greatest" operating system on their computers are what we in the legacy world of IT refer to as "end-users" aka "*****s." I still run Windows 7 on a 16-year old desktop, and it runs nearly as fast as the latest models I've seen from friends and family. And, don't get me started about security. If you run a machine behind a NAT router and practice safe browing you are 99.9% of the way there.

 

[Underdog]

I'm in the same mindset. I have an old home assembled tower running Windows 7. I don't play games, edit videos, or do anything terribly much apart from simple data storage and internet browsing. Why on earth would I want to jump on the M$oft express to every "new improved" trainwreck of an OS just to have more useless bells and whistles that erode my privacy and require a more up to date machine.

Like we tell our kids to say if they are offered drugs in the street. "Just say No".

 

[LimyG]

After a two years of tweaking all aspects of W10, so it is now a decent fast OS with no Store, no Windows update. (I do update with 3rd party or WSUS - MS update doesn't funtion.) There is no way I am moving to the bloated, certainly slower than my modded W10pro install.

Behind Nat router. All remote functions off via group policy or deleted. Malwarebytes as my security.

As others in the know have stated, it's not so much an unpatched OS which is the primary security risk. It's how users use everything and unwittingly open themselves up to potential security issues.

For me it's stay on W10 then eventually move to Linux. W11 is totally out of the question.

 

[LimyG]

People who think have the "latest and greatest" operating system on their computers are what we in the legacy world of IT refer to as "end-users" aka "*****s." I still run Windows 7 on a 16-year old desktop, and it runs nearly as fast as the latest models I've seen from friends and family. And, don't get me started about security. If you run a machine behind a NAT router and practice safe browing you are 99.9% of the way there.

That's a great and very encouraging post!

If you are still using W7 (behind a NAT router of course) then W10 has many years left.

 

[HarryLemon]

Just replaced a 2016 Alienware 13" R3 from 2016 running Windows 10 with Nobara and am floored with how well it just works "out of the box" with everything, including Windows games and a bunch of WIndows "only" peripherals. Now I'm prepping my daily driver, Lenovo Legion i7 2021 to do the same. Tired of this same old MS and Adobe BS! Gimp and LibreOffice actually do everything I need and are 100% free. Ciao asta!!