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Nearly Half of German Home PCs Still Run Windows 10 as Free EU Updates Buy Time

Security experts caution that PCs without Extended Security Updates face heightened risk.

Overview

  • Eset estimates 48.5% of private Windows PCs in Germany still use Windows 10, about 10.2 million devices, while Windows 11 holds 49.5%.
  • Microsoft ended regular Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, with private EU users receiving free security updates until October 14, 2026.
  • Companies must purchase Extended Security Updates, and business devices without ESU have not received patches since October 2025.
  • Eset’s Alexander Opel warns delaying migration is risky, noting roughly 12% more Microsoft product vulnerabilities were fixed in 2025 than in 2024.
  • Germany trails global adoption of Windows 11 (about 55% worldwide versus 41% for Windows 10), despite roughly 3.7 million Windows 10 PCs being replaced since August 2025, and the BSI advises considering Linux or a Mac when hardware cannot run Windows 11.