After Windows 7 was left without support at the beginning of the year, the only two versions of the operating system that are still receiving updates are Windows 8 and Windows 10. 8, little by little, is being in the background, since it was a system that never managed to be a majority, and who is accumulating the total number of users of the Microsoft operating system is 10. This system is updated twice a year, introducing all kinds of news, improvements and features, as well as gradually extending support of the system. However, despite how important it is to make sure we have the latest operating system, only 8 out of 100 users do so.
AdDuplex has been analyzing the market share of different versions of Windows 10 to see how seriously users take their OS updates. And the truth is that the data has been more than surprising.
October 2020 Update does not finish convincing
Last October, Microsoft released the second update for Windows 10 this year, the October 2020 Update, or version 20H2. This is a small, maintenance update, focused on debugging the general operation of the system. Not only is it problem free, but it has fixed many of the bugs introduced with the previous 20H1.
Despite this, in one month only 8.8% of users have updated to this version of the operating system. Too low a percentage considering that we are talking about a free update full of improvements and corrections.
This data is more concerning when we look at the 2020 versions in general. As we can see, not even 50% of Windows 10 users have updated to a 2020 version , using versions from last year that, although they have support, are already obsolete and in a few months will pass away. And keep in mind that many of these were users of the 2018 versions to whom Microsoft has forced the installation.
Right now, along with 20H1, the version most used by users is 1909, the second update from last year that, it seems, refuses to let users go.
The problem with Windows 10 updates
But if updates are free, and should be bug-free in the beginning, why don’t users worry about always being up to date? This is mainly due to two reasons. The first one is that, while before Microsoft forced updates to new versions, now the company launches them as “optional” updates that must be installed by hand. And there are many users who do not enter Windows Update and therefore do not know about the arrival of the update.
And the second reason is the very nature of the updates. Since its launch, Windows 10 has dragged a lot of problems with updates. And this has been creating a bad image of the system , making users think that, if they update Windows, the operating system will stop working well.
Now we just have to wait to see the evolution of Windows 10 20H2 for the launch of version 21H1 scheduled for spring of next year. And we will closely follow the end of support for the 2019 versions that will leave almost 50% of Windows 10 users without support, from next month until next May.
| Name | Version | Launching | End support | With support? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| RTM | 1507 | July 29, 2015 | May 9, 2017 | NO |
| November Update | 1511 | November 10, 2015 | October 10, 2017 | NO |
| Anniversary Update | 1607 | August 2, 2016 | 10 April 2018 | NO |
| Creators Update | 1703 | April 5, 2017 | Oct 9, 2018 | NO |
| Fall Creators Update | 1709 | October 17, 2017 | April 9, 2019 | NO |
| April 2018 Update | 1803 | April 30, 2018 | November 12, 2019 | NO |
| October 2018 Update | 1809 | November 13, 2018 | November 10, 2020 | YES |
| May 2019 Update | 1903 | May 21, 2019 | December 8, 2020 | YES |
| November 2019 Update | 1909 | November 12, 2019 | May 11, 2021 | YES |
| May 2020 Update | 2004 | May 27, 2020 | December 14, 2021 | YES |
| October 2020 Update | 2009 | October 20, 2020 | – | Yes |
