Akungabazeki ukuthi iWindows XP ibilokhu futhi isazoqhubeka nokuba ngesinye sezinhlelo zokusebenza ezinhle kakhulu ezikhishwe yiMicrosoft eminyakeni yamuva. Kuze kube namuhla futhi lapho ngokusemthethweni ingasakutholi ukwesekwa, ngaphandle kwezinkampani nohulumeni obekufanele bayiqashe, iyaqhubeka nokuba khona kuma-10% kuwo wonke amakhompyutha emhlabeni, okuyisabelo esiphakeme kakhulu sohlelo olusebenzayo ukuvula i-16, akukho lutho. Kodwa-ke, umlandeli wayo, iWindows Vista, akabonwa ngamakhompyutha amaningi, njengoba ukusebenza kwayo okuhamba kancane kanye nezidingo eziphezulu kuphoqa abasebenzisi ukuthi banamathele kwi-XP.
Eminyakeni emihlanu eyedlule, ngo-2012, eminyakeni emihlanu ngemuva kokwethulwa kwayo, inkampani ezinze eRedmond yamemezela usuku lapho iWindows Vista, eyayigcine iminyaka emibili emakethe, izoma ukuthola ukwesekwa kule nkampani. Lolo suku, ngo-Ephreli 11, 2017, selusondele, ngakho-ke uma ungomunye wabasebenzisi abambalwa (ibilokhu inesabelo esiphansi kakhulu) esiqhubeka nokuyisebenzisa qiniseka ukuthi unezinye izibuyekezo ezahlukahlukene ezikhishwe yinkampani, ngoba uma kungenjalo lapho usuku olubonisiwe selufikile, ngeke usakwazi ukukwenza.
I-Windows 7 yangena emakethe ngo-2009, eminyakeni emibili ngemuva kokwehluleka kweWindows Vista, kodwa yathengiswa kwaze kwaba ngu-2011, engaqondakali. I-Windows 8 ingenye yezinhlelo zokusebenza lapho iMicrosoft ibonakala ingakhokhi inzalo enkulu, ngaphandle kwesixhumi esibonakalayo esijabulisayo cishe esingathandwa muntu futhi okuphoqe inkampani ukuthi yethule isibuyekezo seWindows 8.1, isibuyekezo abathandekayo abasibuyisele kithi qala inkinobho eshalofini amathayili adumile okungekho noyedwa owayewajwayele.