Microsoft officially terminated support for the old Windows 7 operating system in early 2020.
Nearly a year later, in 2021, since support ended, millions of PC users are still running the old and outdated Windows 7.
Although this number has been declining over time, there are still millions of users using Windows 7. It is not clear how many PC users are still starting Windows 7, because different sources have different data due to different methods used.
ZDNet reports that as of December 2019, the usage of Windows 7 is about 200 million, and it analyzed data from different analysis reports before the manufacturer canceled the support termination trigger.
By December 2020, it was reported that there was a decline, but the same message is also prominent: thousands of people are in love with their beloved Windows 7 OS.
By analyzing different analysis reports, it is estimated that more than 100 million PC users have installed Windows 7. Overall, Windows 7’s market share is about 20% of the entire PC market-depending on who you ask, it may be higher or lower.
Running an operating system that is no longer supported has obvious security risks. Therefore, as part of the extended security update program, Microsoft decided to provide extended support for some of its users on Windows 7, but they must pay for it.
It is not clear how many users choose to keep their favorite Windows 7 operating system and pay Microsoft for support. This may also be a contributing factor to the lack of willingness to switch to Windows 10.
However, the usage of Windows 7 was on the decline in 2020. According to NetShare data, by the end of the year, the usage of Windows 7 dropped by 9.5 points, from 31.2% to 21.7%, while the latest version of Windows 10 accounted for 74% of the market share.
On the other hand, StatCounter estimates that the Windows 7 PC market share is 17.7%, a drop of nearly 10%, and the Windows 10 usage rate has risen by 12% to 76.0%.
