Technology giant Dell announced that the pace of Windows 11 adoption is significantly slower than during the previous Windows 10 release. The company emphasized that users are being cautious in migrating to the new operating system, citing hardware limitations as the primary reason for this slowdown. Data shared by Dell reveals that despite Microsoft’s efforts to accelerate the transition, the expected level has not yet been achieved.

Windows 11 Fails to Meet Expected Demand

Dell COO Jeffrey Clarke, speaking on the third quarter of fiscal year FY26, stated that the pace of Windows 11 adoption has slowed by 10 to 12 percentage points compared to the previous operating system release.

Clarke stated that the majority of users are slow to transition. He also noted that approximately 500 million PCs do not meet Windows 11’s system requirements.

This suggests that users are cautious about both hardware upgrades and the transition to the new operating system. Despite this, PC sales are expected to remain stable.

Although Windows 10 support ended last month, Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates (ESU) program allows users to stay on the older version for a while longer.

Another factor affecting Windows 11 adoption is user complaints about the operating system. While not everyone experiences problems, negative feedback appears to be slowing down the transition. The company is taking steps to encourage users to upgrade by highlighting new AI features.