According to StatCounter’s October report, the desktop operating system market has undergone unexpected changes. Windows 11’s market share has dropped sharply to 43%, while Windows 7 has seen an anomalous surge, more than doubling its share to 22.86%.

Experts describe this spike in Windows 7 usage as a statistical anomaly, reflecting users’ ongoing distrust toward Windows 11 and the lack of a large-scale migration to Microsoft’s latest platform.

Following the end of official support for Windows 10 in October 2025, its market share declined to 33.57%. Even Windows 11, which previously dominated the market, fell from 49% to 43%. Many users remain reluctant to upgrade to Windows 11, citing hardware compatibility issues and displeasure with the system’s interface. This hesitancy has likely caused a redistribution of users toward older versions, particularly Windows 7.

Amid these shifts in the Microsoft ecosystem, attention toward Linux-based alternatives is growing. Developers of Zorin OS, a popular Linux distribution, reported a surge of interest in the newly released Zorin OS 18.

Within just the first two days of release, Zorin OS 18 exceeded 100,000 downloads, with 72% of installations coming from computers that previously ran Windows. The new version introduces:

• An improved window management system resembling Windows 11.

• Enhanced compatibility with Windows applications through the WINE 10 layer.

• Smart suggestions for launching popular programs.

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