Microsoft killed Windows 10 to push Windows 11, but Windows sales crashed 27% as holdouts still refuse to switch

windowslatest.com Oct 29, 2026

Microsoft killed Windows 10 to push Windows 11, but Windows sales crashed 27% as holdouts still refuse to switch

Curated by Shubham · TechCapsules · Oct 29, 2026

AI-summarised brief · reviewed before publication

Microsoft reported a 27 % decline in Windows OEM revenue for the July‑September 2026 quarter, attributing the drop to the fading upgrade surge that followed Windows 10’s end‑of‑support deadline in October 2025, excess inventory at OEMs, and a weaker overall PC market. The revenue slump lowered the broader Windows OEM and Devices segment to $3.55 billion, down 22 % year‑over‑year. While Windows 11 now commands 71.34 % of Steam’s hardware survey share, Windows 10 still holds 23.61 % and grew 0.71 % in the same period, indicating a sizable holdout. Analysts note that most Windows 10 machines could run Windows 11, yet many users and SMBs remain on the older OS, partly because Microsoft extended free security updates to October 2027 and component prices have risen sharply.

💡 Why It Matters

· The lingering Windows 10 base undermines Microsoft’s push for higher‑margin Windows 11 licenses, exposing the limits of deadline‑driven upgrade cycles.

Read full article on windowslatest.com

McDonald’s created the perfect mouse and forgot to sell it where I…

Sean Endicott, a seasoned Windows Central journalist, has reported on Microsoft’s software and hardware developments since 2017, covering Windows 11, Surface devices, Microsoft 365, and AI initiatives. He authors the weekly Windows Wrap column, curating key industry stories. Endicott earned a First Class degree in Broadcast Journalism from Nottingham Trent University and previously worked in live production. Outside tech, he coaches youth American football in Nottingham, earning the BAFCA Youth Coach of the Year award in 2024.

💡 Endicott’s dual expertise in journalism and sports coaching exemplifies how tech professionals can influence diverse communities, bridging industry insight with local youth development.

windowslatest.com · Oct 29

Microsoft explains why Task Manager freezes right when you need it most…

Microsoft engineer Raymond Chen explained why Windows 11’s Task Manager and taskbar can freeze when a CPU‑intensive application monopolizes processing time. When a heavy app consumes most of the CPU, the scheduler allocates limited time slices to all other threads, including Task Manager, which must wait for CPU cycles to render its UI and update the process list. Raising Task Manager’s priority would not help because a high‑priority thread can still be blocked on a lock or resource held by a lower‑priority thread, a situation known as priority inversion. Windows mitigates some cases with the AutoBoost feature, which temporarily elevates the priority of the resource‑holding thread, but this does not resolve delays caused by slow I/O or network operations. Consequently, even with foreground‑app boosts, Task Manager may remain unresponsive during extreme load, illustrating the inherent limits of trying to control a stalled system from within that same system.

💡 It shows that built‑in diagnostic tools can be rendered ineffective precisely when users need them most, underscoring a fundamental design constraint in operating‑system recovery.

linkedin.com · Oct 29

Just wrapped our earnings call. It was a fast start to our…

Microsoft reported that its cloud segment generated over $63 billion in revenue for the fiscal year, marking a 30 percent year‑over‑year increase. The earnings call highlighted accelerated growth driven by AI‑focused services, including the Foundry platform, which saw a five‑fold rise in customers deploying multiple models. Executives emphasized a shift toward “intelligence per task,” aiming to improve cost efficiency and performance across heterogeneous AI workloads. The company also outlined plans to build a new technology stack designed for the emerging “agentic wave,” positioning its infrastructure to support increasingly autonomous AI agents. The call underscored Microsoft’s strategy of coupling rapid revenue expansion with deeper AI integration to sustain its cloud leadership.

💡 By tying cloud growth to AI task efficiency, Microsoft is turning cost‑per‑task metrics into a competitive moat, forcing rivals to match its blend of scale and intelligent resource allocation.

windowslatest.com · Oct 29

Windows 11’s “Restart now” button is a trap if updates are still…

Windows 11’s Update page displays a “Restart now” button even while the monthly security update is still installing, prompting users to restart prematurely. Microsoft explains the feature allows advanced users to reboot as soon as specific updates are ready, but acknowledges the confusion. The company is reviewing the experience to prevent early restarts, though it will keep the option for those who need it. The change is expected to reduce unnecessary delays and multiple restarts for most users.

💡 The tweak will streamline the update process, cutting downtime for the majority of Windows 11 users and improving overall system reliability.

eurogamer.net · Oct 29

Xbox leader Asha Sharma says there’s “more demand than consoles available” as…

Xbox division chief Asha Sharma announced that demand for Xbox consoles exceeds supply, citing a 14 % year‑over‑year drop in hardware sales amid a 2 % decline in overall Xbox revenue. Microsoft’s quarterly report highlighted record performance for Minecraft and World of Warcraft: Forever, while noting that first‑party game growth offset declines in third‑party titles and Game Pass. Sharma emphasized plans to increase console availability through expanded refurbishment and upcoming November launch of the anniversary Xbox Series X.

💡 The supply‑constrained outlook signals a potential rebound in hardware demand, affecting retail inventory strategies and consumer purchasing decisions.

windowscentral.com · Oct 29

Microsoft is killing Copilot for smart TVs this year

LG announced that Microsoft will discontinue Copilot support on all smart TVs before the end of 2026. The AI companion, previously installed on LG and Samsung models, could answer questions about on‑screen content and recommend shows. Microsoft’s shift toward business‑focused Copilot and the merger of its consumer and 365 versions have made the TV feature redundant. The exact end‑of‑support date remains unconfirmed, but the move signals a retreat from consumer‑facing AI on televisions.

💡 The decision underscores Microsoft’s pivot away from consumer AI tools toward enterprise productivity, reshaping expectations for AI integration in everyday devices.