It's now been over a month since Microsoft released the latest version of Windows but a new survey suggests less than one percent of PC users have upgraded to Windows 11.

According to new research from the IT asset management firm Lansweeper, just 0.21 percent of PC users are currently running Windows 11 despite the fact that it is available as a free update for Windows 10 users.

The company's recent investigation used data from more than 10m Windows devices running on business and home networks to find that Windows 11 is the fifth most popular Windows operating system. In fact, more PCs are running Windows XP (3.62%) and even Windows 8 (0.95%) than are running Windows 11.

One of the reasons could be due to Microsoft's TPM requirements as many systems lack the necessary hardware to run Windows 11.

End of Life operating systems

Lansweeper's report also shows that almost 1 in 10 (9.93%) of the Windows devices it scanned are running End of Life operating systems including Windows XP and Windows 7 which Microsoft stopped supporting back in 2014 and 202 respectively.

Chief marketing officer at Lansweeper, Roel Decneut provided further insight on the dangers and security risk of running End of Life operating systems in a press release, saying:

“The situation poses a significant cybersecurity risk as Microsoft no longer provides bug-fixes or security patches for Windows Vista, 2000, XP, and 7. Although the majority of users are on newer operating systems, the billions of active Windows devices worldwide means there could still be millions of people using devices that are insecure and open to attack. Plus, a large number of these outdated systems are predicted to be running on enterprise devices, which means it’s not just personal information that’s on the line.”

While some individuals and businesses may not be ready to upgrade to Windows 11 just yet, running an older version of Windows that is no longer receiving security updates from Microsoft can put your PC at a much higher risk of falling victim to malware and other cyberattacks.

Looking to upgrade your systems for Windows 11? Check out our roundup of the best business computers as well as our lists of the best business laptops, best workstations and best mobile workstations