More than half of PCs are still operating Windows 10 OS: Kaspersky report

Over 60% of corporate users still use Windows 10, with 6% still on Windows 7, Kaspersky report reveals.

With Microsoft ending support for Windows 10 in October 2025, a report by Kaspersky revealed that there is a high number of users that have yet to upgrade their devices to Windows 11. Specifically, over half of general users and nearly 60% of corporate users are still using Windows 10.

The figures are based on a study based on anonymized OS metadata provided by consenting Kaspersky Security Network users to find out how many devices worldwide are still running Windows 10 OS.

Microsoft has already sent out numerous reminders to consumers, both general and corporate, on the end of life of Windows 10 as well as the consequences that could happen should users continue to work on the older OS.

Just as any operating system, when it reaches end-of-life, there will no longer be security updates. This means Windows 10 users could end up with devices with unresolved security vulnerabilities remaining unpatched. This in turn enables cybercriminals to gain potential opportunities to exploit them.

The research revealed that despite there being less than a month before the end of support from Microsoft, more than half of all users (53%) currently utilize Windows 10 OS. Furthermore, 8.5% of devices continue to operate on the outdated Windows 7 OS version, which reached the end of its support back in 2020.

According to Kaspersky Security Network, only 33% of users have already switched to Windows 11, the latest version of Windows OS, which indicates a high level of commitment to older OS versions.

In the corporate sector, the popularity of Windows 10 is even higher with 59.5% of corporate devices running Windows 10, whereas in small business this figure is slightly lower at 51%. Again, what’s even more concerning is that there are still organizations using Windows 7 OS with users in both categories is slightly more than 6%.

Kaspersky experts warn that using outdated OS versions in corporate infrastructures brings significant risk for businesses, since outdated operating systems not only become more vulnerable to exploits, but may also become incompatible with newer software and security tools. This incompatibility can pose a severe threat for business continuity.

“Migrating to a newer OS may be misguidedly perceived as an unnecessary and even disruptive action offering only minor new features, while complicating existing workflows because of interface changes. However, from a cybersecurity point of view, a system which is not receiving security updates is like a house with a rotting fence which can be knocked down with just a single kick. The risk for both general and corporate business users far outweigh any minor inconveniences of moving to a new OS version,” Oleg Gorobets, Security Expert at Kaspersky commented.

Gorobets also believes that for corporate IT and IT security departments, keeping business-critical software – starting with the OS – up to date is the priority task. He added that timely updates are essential to mitigate security risks and prevent costly data breaches as well as financial and reputational damage.

“It must not be neglected, even if you have a reliable security solution in place”, he added.

Separately, while the top three PC vendors in the region have indicated an increase in PC sales, they feel that many organizations are still taking their time to upgrade their devices. From concerns of increasing costs of new devices to picking the right device for work, many businesses are still hoping to get their devices updated in the next few weeks or by the end of the year at least.

Companies are also evaluating if they should upgrade to an AI PC or just a newer conventional PC that runs on Windows 11. While PC vendors have stated there is sufficient supply of devices available for the refresh, the reality is, any delay in upgrading devices could lead to more security vulnerabilities.