Skip to main content

Is Windows 11 a success so far? New report reveals how many PCs have upgraded

Nearly two months since its launch in early October, Microsoft’s Windows 11 has now been installed on nearly 10% of PCs.

According to a report from AdDuplex, Microsoft’s latest operating system has reached 8.6% of “modern PCs.” The figure is boosted by those currently running the Insider build of Windows 11, adding another 0.3% of OS market share for Windows 11.

Windows 11 Woman on Laptop Lifestyle
Image used with permission by copyright holder

The survey from AdDuplex, a cross-promotion network for Windows Store apps and games, examined around 60,000 systems running Windows 11 or its predecessor.

Recommended Videos

Comparatively, three weeks after its official release in October, Windows 11 was installed on over five percent of PCs. Nearly doubling its install base in the span of a month points toward a positive trajectory pertaining to the operating system’s adoption rate for the near future.

One factor behind Windows 11’s increased OS market share in November is Microsoft’s ​​decision to expand its rollout to more eligible devices at the end of October. Increased availability of the revamped operating system was aided by Microsoft’s “latest generation machine learning model,” which helped push Windows 11 to compatible PCs.

Still, the update is not accessible yet for everyone due to a staggered release schedule; Microsoft expects to offer Windows 11 to all eligible devices by mid-2022. Those who don’t possess the controversial TPM 2.0 system requirement will not be able to run Windows 11 at all, resulting in the exclusion of various hardware.

Despite Microsoft’s insistence on making Windows 11 operate predominantly via newer machines, users have found certain workarounds; one particular individual managed to run the OS on a 15-year-old PC.

While more systems continue to upgrade to Windows 11, a major update for Windows 10 in the form of the 21H2 version was released in November. This variant was installed onto 3.7% of systems, and it evidently had no major impact on the adoption rate for Windows 11.

Notably, with the release of Windows 10 21H2, AdDuplex highlights how this is the first time in Windows history when an older version of the OS becomes available later than a newer one (Windows 11 21H2).

In terms of the total number of systems running either Windows 11 or 10, the latter still dominates the usage share. The M21U (21H1) build for Windows 10 is used by 36.3% of systems, while Windows 10 O20U (20H2) is installed on 31.8% of computers.

When comparing adoption rates between Windows 11 and previous versions, it’s a similar state of affairs — at least in the case of Windows 10. In its first month of release during August 2015, Windows 10 also claimed around five percent market share. Windows 7 enjoyed a healthy start, too, by attaining 4.3% of the market share in November 2009 following its launch to the public in the preceding month.

Windows 8, meanwhile, claimed only 0.96% of OS market share a month after launch. Its adoption levels thereafter was relatively slow as well, increasing by just 0.63% in the following month.

As for Windows 11 moving forward, Microsoft said it will focus on improving the performance of the operating system with upcoming updates in 2022.

Zak Islam
Former Computing Writer
Zak Islam was a freelance writer at Digital Trends covering the latest news in the technology world, particularly the…
Windows 11 vs. Windows 10: Is it finally time to update?
Microsoft Surface Laptop 2 sitting on a table.

Windows 11 is the newest version of Windows, and it's one of the best Windows versions ever released. It draws on its predecessors, like Windows 10, but today it's very much its own operating system, with a unique look, advanced features, and the most secure and stable platform for modern Windows application.

If you've been holding out on upgrading, or aren't running the latest version, we have everything you need to know about the most recent version of Windows 11.
Windows 11 2024 update (24H2)
The latest version of Windows 11, is the 2024 update known as 24H2. It initially rolled out to Windows Insiders in February 2024, but has since been released to the wider Windows user base starting October 1. It introduced a number of new and enhanced features to Windows, improving its fundamentals, as well as adding new capabilities, especially those running it on Copilot+ PCs and laptops.

Read more
Microsoft is forced to halt the Windows 11 24H2 update on some PCs
The Surface Pro 11 on a white table in front of a window.

Microsoft’s recent Windows 11 24H2 update is off to a bumpy start. According to a report by Bleeping Computer, users are facing compatibility issues across various hardware and software configurations, prompting the company to temporarily block the update for some devices.

The affected systems include specific Asus laptop models and configurations involving software like Voicemeeter, Safe Exam Browser, and older versions of Easy Anti-Cheat, commonly used in gaming.

Read more
Windows 11 24H2 may crash your PC if you have a certain SSD
The blue screen of death in Windows.

Microsoft's Windows 11 2024 Update, more commonly referred to as 24H2, is here, but it's not without issues. Reports from disgruntled users have flooded various forums, talking about constant blue screens of death (BSOD) that have appeared since they updated to the latest version of Windows. Although Microsoft has yet to officially acknowledge the problem, the users seem to have pinpointed the cause of it, and even found a workaround.

So far, it looks like these crashes are fairly limited in scope, as they seem to happen if you have one of a few Western Digital SSD models. Other SSD vendors appear unaffected so far. As reported on the WD Community Forums, users are getting BSODs with the error "critical process has died" ever since they updated to the 24H2 update.

Read more