Tenth major release of Windows NT, released in 2015
Operating system
Windows 10 Developer Microsoft Written in OS family Microsoft Windows Source model Released to manufacturing July 15, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-07-15 ) General availability July 29, 2015; 9 years ago (2015-07-29 ) Latest release 22H2 (10.0.19045.5679) (March 25, 2025; 6 days ago (2025-03-25 ) [ 5] ) [±] Latest preview
Release Preview Channel
22H2 (10.0.19045.5679) (March 25, 2025; 6 days ago (2025-03-25 ) [ 6] [ 7] ) [±] Marketing target Personal computing Available in 110 languages[ note 1] [ 8] [ 9] Update method Platforms 32-bit : IA-32 , ARMv7 ;[ 10] [ 11] 64-bit : x86-64 , ARM64 (ARMv8 )[ 12] [ 13] [ 14] Kernel typeHybrid (Windows NT kernel )Userland Native API Windows API .NET Framework Universal Windows Platform Windows Subsystem for Linux NTVDM (IA-32 only)Default user interface Windows shell (graphical )License Trialware ,[ 15] Microsoft Software Assurance , MSDN subscription , Microsoft Imagine Preceded by Windows 8.1 (2013)Succeeded by Windows 11 (2021)Official website Windows 10 (archived at Wayback Machine ) Exceptions exist[ note 4] until at most January 13, 2032, See § Support lifecycle for details.
Windows 10 is a major release of Microsoft 's Windows NT operating system. The successor to Windows 8.1 , it was released to manufacturing on July 15, 2015, and later to retail on July 29, 2015.[ 21] Windows 10 was made available for download via MSDN and TechNet , as a free upgrade for retail copies of Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 users via the Microsoft Store , and to Windows 7 users via Windows Update . Unlike previous Windows NT releases, Windows 10 receives new builds on an ongoing basis, which are available at no additional cost to users;[ note 5] devices in enterprise environments can alternatively use long-term support milestones that only receive critical updates, such as security patches .[ 22] [ 23] It was succeeded by Windows 11 , which was released on October 5, 2021.[ 24]
In contrast to the tablet -oriented approach of Windows 8, Microsoft provided the desktop-oriented interface in line with previous versions of Windows in Windows 10. Other features added include Xbox Live integration, Cortana virtual assistant, virtual desktops and the improved Settings component. Windows 10 also replaced Internet Explorer with Microsoft Edge . As with previous versions, Windows 10 has been developed primarily for x86 processors; in 2018, a version of Windows 10 for ARM processors was released.[ 25]
Windows 10 received generally positive reviews upon its original release, with praise given to the return of the desktop interface, improved bundled software compared to Windows 8.1, and other capabilities. However, media outlets had been critical to behavioral changes of the system like mandatory update installation, privacy concerns over data collection and adware -like tactics used to promote the operating system on its release.[ 26] Microsoft initially aimed to have Windows 10 installed on over one billion devices within three years of its release;[ 22] that goal was ultimately reached almost five years after release on March 16, 2020,[ 27] and it had surpassed Windows 7 as the most popular version of Windows worldwide by January 2018, which remains to be the case in 2024. As of February 2025, Windows 10 is the most used version of Windows, accounting for 58.83% of the worldwide market share, while its successor Windows 11, holds 38%.[ 28] Windows 10 is the most-used traditional PC operating system, with a 46% share of users.[ 29]
Windows 10 is the last version of Microsoft Windows that supports 32-bit processors (IA-32 and ARMv7-based ) and the last major version to support 64-bit processors that don't meet the x86-x64-v2 (i.e., having POPCNT and SSE4.2 ) or ARMv8.1 specifications, across all minor versions.[ note 6] [ 32] [ 33] [ 31] It's also the last version to officially: lack a CPU model check before installation (with a whitelist ),[ note 7] [ 34] support BIOS firmware ,[ note 8] and support systems with TPM 1.2 or no TPM at all.[ note 9] [ 39] Support for Windows 10 editions which are not in the Long-Term Servicing Channel (LTSC) is set to end on October 14, 2025.[ 16]
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^ Thurrott, Paul (November 16, 2018). "Microsoft Opens Its Store to 64-Bit ARM Apps" . Thurrott.com . Archived from the original on July 19, 2019. Retrieved June 13, 2019 .
^ "HP, Asus announce first Windows 10 ARM PCs: 20 hour battery life, gigabit LTE" . Ars Technica . Condé Nast . December 5, 2017. Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved December 6, 2017 .
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^ a b "Windows 10 Home and Pro Lifecycle" . Microsoft Learn . Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 .
^ "Windows 10 Enterprise and Education Lifecycle" . Microsoft Learn . Archived from the original on July 1, 2021. Retrieved June 27, 2021 .
^ Cunningham, Andrew (October 31, 2024). "Consumers won't be offered all three years of extended Windows 10 security updates" . Ars Technica . Condé Nast . Retrieved November 2, 2024 .
^ Bott, Ed (December 5, 2023). "Microsoft will offer extended support options for Windows 10 PCs, for a price" . ZDNet . Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024 . a paying customer can extend the life of a Windows 10 PC from the official end-of-support date of October 14, 2025, until October 10, 2028
^ "Extended Security Updates (ESU) program for Windows 10" . Microsoft Learn . December 5, 2023. Archived from the original on February 28, 2024. Retrieved January 8, 2025 .
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^ a b Bott, Ed . "Microsoft's big Windows 10 goal: one billion or bust" . ZDNet . CBS Interactive . Archived from the original on April 13, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019 .
^ Bott, Ed (July 22, 2016). "Is the Windows 10 Long-Term Servicing Branch right for you?" . TechProResearch . Archived from the original on September 11, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017 .
^ "Upgrade to the New Windows 11 OS | Microsoft" . Windows . Archived from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved July 30, 2021 .
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^ Chacos, Brad (May 22, 2016). "How Microsoft's tricky new Windows 10 pop-up deceives you into upgrading" . PC World . IDG . Archived from the original on April 4, 2019. Retrieved May 14, 2019 .
^ "Microsoft hits its goal of 1 billion devices running Windows 10" . March 16, 2020. Archived from the original on March 21, 2020. Retrieved March 21, 2020 .
^ "Desktop Windows Version Market Share Worldwide" . StatCounter Global Stats . Archived from the original on April 20, 2019. Retrieved August 2, 2023 .
^ "Operating System Market Share Worldwide" . StatCounter Global Stats . Archived from the original on February 15, 2020. Retrieved August 2, 2023 .
^ Klotz, Aaron (April 24, 2024). "Microsoft blocks some PCs from Windows 11 24H2 — CPU must support SSE4.2 or the OS will not boot" . Tom's Hardware . POPCNT and the SSE 4.2 requirements are new and have been added specifically to 24H2 and will be applied to future iterations of Windows 11 going forward.
^ a b Carrasqueira, João (May 6, 2024). "Windows phones say goodbye to Windows 11 starting with version 24H2" . XDA Developers . the Windows 11 2024 Update will only run on processors based on Arm v8.1 or later.
^ Sen, Sayan (December 17, 2024). "Acronis backup, cloning app gets Windows 11 24H2 BitLocker support; won't work on old CPUs" . Neowin . Sadly, though, if you are on a Core 2 Duo or something similar that does not have x86_64-v2 instructions like SSE4.2 and PopCnt, you will not be able to install Windows 11 24H2, and no trick or hack exists that will be able to work around this requirement.
^ Tkachenko, Sergey (February 16, 2024). "Windows 11 24H2 now clearly states that you need a CPU with POPCNT support" . Winaero .
^ "Windows Processor Requirements" . Microsoft Docs . Archived from the original on June 25, 2021. Retrieved June 26, 2021 .
^ a b "Minimum System Requirements for Windows IoT Enterprise" . Microsoft Learn . May 22, 2024. Retrieved June 7, 2024 .
^ a b Parmar, Mayank (May 27, 2024). "Microsoft details Windows 11 24H2 LTSC requirements, TPM optional for IoT" . Windows Latest . Retrieved June 9, 2024 .
^ "Windows 11: Minimum Hardware Requirements" (PDF) . Microsoft . June 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 24, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2021 .
^ Parmar, Mayank (June 27, 2021). "Microsoft: OEMs can still ship some Windows 11 PCs without TPM" . Windows Latest . Archived from the original on June 27, 2021. Retrieved June 28, 2021 .
^ "Windows 11 System Requirements - Microsoft Support" . support.microsoft.com . Archived from the original on July 13, 2024. Retrieved July 15, 2024 .
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