Windows 7 sees shock revival after Windows 10 support ends

The Windows 7 operating system. Photo: YouTube video screenshot

Although the Windows 10 support deadlines have prompted users to upgrade to Windows 11, interest in Windows 7 is also growing. According to StatCounter statistics, the market share of Windows 7 has doubled in a short period of time.

This was reported by XDA-Developers.

Why Windows 7 usage is surging in 2025 despite being retired

Many people are finally upgrading to Windows 11 or buying new PCs because Windows 10 will stop receiving security updates in October. According to StatCounter, Windows 11 surpassed Windows 10 in global market share for the first time in July of this year. By September, Windows 11 had reached 50.74%, while Windows 10 had 43.09%.

Unexpectedly, Windows 7, released in 2009, began gaining popularity again. After a long plateau, its market share increased from 2.02% in July to 3.59% in August. According to the latest data, it has already reached 5.2%. Compared to July, this represents over 100% growth.

The share of Windows users as of September 2025. Photo: StatCounter

Although 5.2% is modest compared to Windows 11 and 10, it's a noticeable trend, especially considering some users' reluctance to upgrade. However, this does not necessarily indicate a deliberate "downgrade" from Windows 10 to Windows 7. Regardless of the reasons, the growth is impressive, even though Microsoft stopped supporting Windows 7 in January 2020. However, it's too early to talk about a long-term trend because the surge may be temporary.

It's important to consider the limitations of the methodology itself. StatCounter's statistics are based on tracking code data from over 1.5 billion websites worldwide. Thus, the growth of Windows 7 could be due to improved "capture" of such devices in their network in recent months rather than an actual increase in the total number of users of this outdated operating system (OS).

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