If your older PC is suddenly feeling unloved by Microsoft, you’re not alone.
More than one million Windows 10 and Windows 11 users have downloaded and installed Zorin OS 18, a Linux operating system distro built to look and feel familiar to Windows users.
The milestone comes just months after Microsoft ended mainstream support for Windows 10 and rolled out stricter security requirements for newer versions of Windows.
In under three months, Zorin OS 18 has crossed 2 million downloads, with the majority coming directly from Windows systems. Zorin Group confirmed the milestone on its official X account, highlighting just how much of the growth is tied to Windows users.
“Zorin OS 18 just crossed 2 million downloads in under 3 months. More than ¾ of these downloads came from Windows users, helping to grow the Linux user base even further. Thank you to everyone who supported and shared our biggest release ever,” the company wrote.
This means approximately 1.5 million users have likely swapped their Windows 10 or 11 environments for Zorin’s alternative.
Timing worked in Zorin’s favor
Zorin OS 18 was released on the exact day Windows 10 reached the end of mainstream support. With an estimated 240 million Windows 10 PCs unable to upgrade, the timing proved critical.
According to Neowin, Zorin OS 18 pulled in over 100,000 downloads within days, passed one million downloads in just over a month, and has now doubled that figure.
Windows Central describes the surge as one of Linux’s biggest growth stories of 2026, driven by Windows 10’s retirement, hardware limits, and growing frustration with AI features and built-in bloat in Windows.
There is no clear evidence that every download results in a permanent switch. Some users may simply be testing Linux or setting it up alongside Windows. Still, the scale of interest is hard to ignore.
Windows still dominates the desktop. Data cited by Windows Central shows Windows holding over 94% of installs in Steam’s hardware survey, while Linux accounts for a much smaller share (3.58%). Still, Linux usage is climbing, and Zorin OS is emerging as one of the biggest beneficiaries of that trend.
Zorin OS is not alone in seeing renewed interest, but its Windows-like design and careful timing have made it a popular landing spot. As Microsoft continues to raise hardware and security bars, more users may at least explore alternatives, even if only to keep aging PCs alive.
Also read: Microsoft’s 2026 end-of-support list includes Windows 11 24H2 and Office 2021, with key dates organizations should track.