Windows 11’s recent lead over its predecessor proved to be fragile: Statcounter’s August snapshot shows Windows 11 slipping back below the 50% mark while Windows 10 recovered some ground, yet the newer OS still holds a larger share overall after overtaking Windows 10 in July. (gs.statcounter.com, 104828[/ATTACH]Background[/HEADING]
Microsoft’s two most-used desktop operating systems have lived in a slow-motion duel ever since Windows 11 launched in October 2021. Windows 10 dominated for most of the last decade, but 2025 has been the year the balance finally shifted — briefly and then unevenly — as the looming October 14, 2025 end-of-support deadline for Windows 10 forced households, businesses, and OEM channels to accelerate migrations. The July surge that pushed Windows 11 ahead of Windows 10 was widely reported across industry outlets and is attributable to that deadline plus a run of hardware refreshes and preinstalled Windows 11 machines. ([url="]windowscentral.com[/url], [url="]techpowerup.com)
Statcounter’s monthly panel — the one most outlets use for quick month‑to‑month comparisons — is the principal public source for this story. It tracks pageviews across its network of sites and publishes monthly breakdowns for desktop Windows versions; its August dashboard shows Windows 11 at roughly 49.0% and Windows 10 at about 45.7%. Those percentages are the basis for the recent coverage that described a drop for Windows 11 in August after the July high.
[/LIST]
Source: PCMag UK Windows 11 Users Dropped Last Month, Still Bigger Than Windows 10
Microsoft’s two most-used desktop operating systems have lived in a slow-motion duel ever since Windows 11 launched in October 2021. Windows 10 dominated for most of the last decade, but 2025 has been the year the balance finally shifted — briefly and then unevenly — as the looming October 14, 2025 end-of-support deadline for Windows 10 forced households, businesses, and OEM channels to accelerate migrations. The July surge that pushed Windows 11 ahead of Windows 10 was widely reported across industry outlets and is attributable to that deadline plus a run of hardware refreshes and preinstalled Windows 11 machines. ([url="]windowscentral.com[/url], [url="]techpowerup.com)
Statcounter’s monthly panel — the one most outlets use for quick month‑to‑month comparisons — is the principal public source for this story. It tracks pageviews across its network of sites and publishes monthly breakdowns for desktop Windows versions; its August dashboard shows Windows 11 at roughly 49.0% and Windows 10 at about 45.7%. Those percentages are the basis for the recent coverage that described a drop for Windows 11 in August after the July high.
What the August numbers actually say
- Statcounter’s global “Desktop Windows Version Market Share” for August 2025 lists Windows 11 at 49.02% and Windows 10 at 45.65%, with older versions (Windows 7, 8, 8.1, XP) making up the remainder in small slices.
- Multiple tech publications reported that Windows 11 briefly overtook Windows 10 in July, a milestone repeatedly attributed to Statcounter’s July figures and the run up to Windows 10’s EOL. Those July reports show Windows 11 at roughly the low‑50s and Windows 10 in the mid‑40s depending on rounding and the outlet’s quoting of Statcounter. (techpowerup.com)
[/LIST]
Risks and downside
- Security risk complacency. ESU is a one‑year stopgap and covers only security updates. Users delaying migration for more than a year face an increasing attack surface and eventual lack of patches unless they remain enrolled.
- Compatibility and fragmentation. Enterprise environments that delay upgrades risk longer-term fragmentation between teams on Windows 10 vs. Windows 11 — complicating testing, driver support, and procurement cycles.
- Consumer confusion. Rolling enrollment wizards and inconsistent sign‑up availability have already caused frustration; slow rollouts mean some users can’t enroll easily, pushing them to delay or seek paid ESU options. That rollout unevenness has been reported in the press.
Practical guidance for readers and admins
Whether you’re on Windows 10 considering staying a bit longer, or on Windows 11 evaluating whether to roll back, here’s a concise checklist:- Check your current Windows build: Settings > System > About. Confirm you’re on Windows 10 version 22H2 if you plan to enroll in ESU.
- If you plan to use the free ESU option, enable Windows Backup / sync your settings to OneDrive (this is the free consumer pathway). If you prefer Microsoft Rewards, verify you have 1,000 points available. The paid option is $30 per device for the one‑year ESU. Enrollment appears in Settings > Windows Update when your device is eligible. (support.microsoft.com)
- For business administrators: evaluate ESU for a narrow set of legacy systems only. Plan a staged migration strategy tied to application compatibility testing and hardware refresh cycles. Expect commercial ESU pricing and terms to differ from consumer offers.
- If you’re testing Windows 11 and encountering performance or compatibility issues, log driver and app problems, and consider postponing a rollback until you can schedule a maintenance window. For mission‑critical machines, prefer fresh installations or a full imaging strategy rather than in‑place updates when possible.
- Watch the data over multiple months. Single‑month Statcounter swings can be noisy; a three‑month rolling trend gives a better read on durable migration patterns.
What to watch next
- September Statcounter release (early October): the next public Statcounter update will show whether August’s dip was an anomaly or the start of a broader retrenchment by Windows 11 users. Given the EOL timetable, trend direction through September will be informative.
- ESU enrollment uptake and rollout fixes: Microsoft’s own reporting and community feedback about the enrollment wizard will indicate whether the free avenues are working as intended or if technical hiccups force users into paid enrollment. There were reports of slow rollout and wizard bugs; watch Microsoft updates and mainstream coverage for fixes. (blogs.windows.com)
- Enterprise migrations and OEM shipments: large buyer behavior and OEM shipments over the fall buying season will affect long‑term adoption more than month‑to‑month Statcounter blips. Retail and OEM shipment data will be a key corroborating signal.
Conclusion
August’s Statcounter snapshot reminded the market that migration isn’t a single sprint — it’s a marathon full of starts, stops, and occasional backpedals. Windows 11 remains the larger share on public charts despite losing a few points in August, and Microsoft’s consumer ESU options explain part of that hesitancy: the company has given users a structured way to pause an urgent move to Windows 11. (gs.statcounter.com, learn.microsoft.com, gs.statcounter.com)Source: PCMag UK Windows 11 Users Dropped Last Month, Still Bigger Than Windows 10
