Most Users Aren't Running the Latest Verison of Windows 10. Here's Why.

Microsoft is struggling to make people upgrade their Windows 10 to the latest version.

A recent report suggests that the latest Windows 10 version, 20H2, only commands a 29.95 market share, while a much older version, Windows 10 version 2004, still leads with 42.1%.

So, why aren’t people upgrading to the latest version of Windows 10? Let's take a look at why people are afraid of upgrading Windows 10.

People Don’t See the Benefits of Upgrading

The AdDuplex report from March 2021 confirms that many people just don't see the reason for upgrading.

It is common sense that if a thing works fine, people will not rush to replace it. Take the example of smartphones. As smartphones get better and better, manufacturers struggle to show the consumers why they should ditch their old phones for new ones. Consumers just don’t see any reason to get a new phone every year.

The same is true for Windows 10. Aside from security improvements and bug fixes, older versions of Windows 10 work fine. So, people don’t see the benefit of updating their OS to the latest version.

And the situation will stay like this unless Microsoft finds a way to showcase the benefits of upgrading.

Once people see what they are missing by not updating, they will happily upgrade to the latest version.

Buggy Releases

Windows 10 updates are always a risk. From random crashes to Blue Screen of Death errors, every time you update Windows 10, you are opening your computer up to a whole host of troubles. So, it is no wonder that users don’t want anything to do with Windows 10 updates.

Therefore, if Microsoft wants people to move on to the newer releases of Windows, the releases need to be stable and free from machine-breaking bugs. Once people know that updating will not hamper their workflow, they will jump on the latest and greatest.

Too Many Updates Make the Updating Structure Difficult to Navigate

Ask any Windows user, and they will tell you that Windows is always updating. Minor bug fixes, driver updates, security updates, and major OS updates contribute to this problem. Simply put, people don't want to keep updating their OS.

Never updating is bad news for both the users and Microsoft.

For Microsoft, the more people on the older versions, the longer they must support those versions. Supporting old software versions consumes a considerable amount of resources. The splitting of resources hampers the development of newer, better versions and the delivery of critical updates to current versions.

For users, if they don’t update, they will end up with a security breach sooner or later. Researchers are continuously finding new vulnerabilities in Windows. Identity thieves and hackers exploit these vulnerabilities to steal your information.

To curb these exploits, Microsoft delivers important security updates every month. And people who don’t update miss out on these.

In short, to ensure that its OS remains secure, Microsoft needs users to update regularly. But for this, the company needs to streamline the updates, making it easier for users to upgrade their OS.

Microsoft’s Lack of Efforts Educating Users About Windows 10

Since its launch in 2015, Microsoft has done little to educate people about Windows 10. Most people don’t even know the version of Windows 10 they operate. Unsurprisingly, this has made users unaware of the importance of upgrading their OS.

So, Microsoft needs to put effort into educating its userbase about Windows 10. Users need to know that there won’t be a Windows 11. They need to keep updating Windows 10 to enjoy the latest features.

Once users recognize the need to update to get new features, they will upgrade to the latest version.

People Will Upgrade Their Version of Windows 10 If Microsoft Wants Them To

In the end, everything relies on Microsoft. If Microsoft gets its messaging right and succeeds in showing its userbase the advantages to upgrading, people will move to the newer version of Windows 10.

Meanwhile, if you are still on an older version, make sure you update your OS. Updates are important for security, and they come with cool, new features. So, be on the lookout for them.

source https://www.makeuseof.com/users-update-windows-10/