No rush to switch? 32 million computers in Germany still running Windows 10

Windows 10 is currently installed on 32 million computers in Germany. This is according to figures from IT security company Eset. From October 14, 2025, the operating system will no longer receive free security updates and will then be potentially vulnerable to attacks. "It's five to twelve," warns Thorsten Urbanski, Director of Marketing and Communications at Eset. "Cyber criminals are just waiting for the day support ends," he explains, and recommends switching to Windows 11 or an alternative operating system. Alternatively, customers can purchase a paid support extension.

The majority of Windows PCs run Windows 10

In terms of all Windows installations in Germany, devices with Windows 10 currently account for two thirds. The proportion is slightly higher in Austria, but significantly lower in Switzerland. According to Statcounter, it is just under 55 percent there. The remaining share is predominantly accounted for by Windows 11. Nevertheless, according to Eset, there are around one million devices in Germany that are running an older version of Windows, including Windows XP in some cases.

Urbanski considers the high usage figures for Windows 10 to be dangerous and compares the situation with the end of support for Windows 7, when only 20 percent of devices were still running the operating system. "Over 70 percent were already using the new Windows 10," he reports. Despite the approaching end of the update supply, the usage figures for Windows 10 rose slightly in November. While this trend continued in Austria, according to Statcounter, the figures in Germany and Switzerland fell again slightly.

Support extension for private customers too

Without regular security updates from Microsoft, newly discovered security vulnerabilities remain open. This means that outdated devices can become targets for cyber criminals who try to access sensitive data such as bank details or passwords. Urbanski advises companies in particular to plan the changeover as soon as possible. Outdated devices are the starting point for data loss, espionage and ransomware attacks. "In the event of damage, insurance companies can refuse to settle claims because the state of the art has not been adhered to," he warns.

Customers still have a temporary alternative to switching. As with the previous Windows versions, a support extension can be purchased after the end of the free security updates. Corporate customers have to pay 61 US dollars per device for the first year. They can take advantage of the extension for up to three years, but the prices increase in subsequent years. For the first time, Microsoft's offer is also available to private customers. They can only purchase the fee-based updates for one year at a price of 30 US dollars.

Security researcher Thomas Lambertz recently demonstrated at the Chaos Communication Congress that Windows 11 is not without security vulnerabilities. There he showed how the BitLocker drive encryption can be bypassed via the network. There were also problems with updates in the latest Windows 11 24H2. Installations from a USB stick did not allow updates. To receive updates, a new installation is necessary on the affected devices.

(sfe)