Windows 10 might still be the world's most popular operating system but things are changing fast. Latest figures from the team at StatCounter show the divide between Windows 10 and Windows 11 has never been closer with millions switching from Microsoft's older OS to its latest software over the past few months alone.

In fact, Windows 11 has reached a major milestone with over 33 percent of PCs now running this operating system. Back in October 2023, that number was just 23 percent.

Meanwhile, Windows 10 users are in terminal decline with numbers dropping from 71 percent to 62 percent over the past 12 months.

If that trajectory continues, things could be almost even by the time Microsoft's worrying deadline comes into force next autumn.

In a recent chat with Express.co.uk, the Redmond firm said its Windows 11 target was ahead of where it was when it ended support for Windows 7. The company is also confident that a lot of users will make the switch nearer to the time.

From October 14 2025, Microsoft will no longer offer free support for Windows 10 which means users will either need to pay for Extended Security Updates or switch to Windows 11.

Those who do nothing will be more at risk from laptop-breaking bugs along with attacks from cyber crooks and nasty malware.

Most modern PCs should be compatible with Windows 11 - if your device can't switch you may need to buy something new to stay safe or sign up for these ESUs. Consumer pricing has yet to be confirmed - corporate costs are $61(£45) per year.

"While we strongly recommend moving to Windows 11, we understand there are circumstances that could prevent you from replacing Windows 10 devices before the EOS date. Therefore, Microsoft will offer Extended Security Updates," Microsoft's Jason Leznek confirmed last December.

HERE ARE THE FULL SPECS FOR RUNNING WINDOWS 11

Processor: 1 gigahertz (GHz) or faster with two or more cores on a compatible 64-bit processor or system on a chip (SoC).

RAM: 4 gigabytes (GB) or greater.

Storage: 64 GB or greater available storage is required to install Windows 11.

Graphics card: Compatible with DirectX 12 or later, with a WDDM 2.0 driver.

TPM: Trusted Platform Module (TPM) version 2.0.