Adobe has implemented this requirement to ensure that Photoshop users have a stable and secure platform to work on. The Anniversary Update provides several key features that Photoshop relies on, including:
A window will pop up showing your Windows Version and OS Build.
Adobe Photoshop (recent versions, including Creative Cloud 2020 and later) requires Windows 10 or newer to install and run properly. Adobe has implemented this requirement to ensure that
To check your Windows version:
Sometimes the Windows Update service gets stuck and refuses to offer the Anniversary Update automatically. You can manually force the update: To check your Windows version: Sometimes the Windows
Simply reaching version 1607 may allow the installer to proceed, but running modern versions of Photoshop smoothly requires meeting contemporary hardware standards. Minimum Requirement Recommended Intel or AMD processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster Intel or AMD processor with 64-bit support; 2 GHz or faster Operating System Windows 10 64-bit (version 22H2 or later) Windows 10 64-bit (version 22H2 or later) or Windows 11 RAM 16 GB or more Graphics Card GPU with DirectX 12 support; 1.5 GB of GPU memory
When launching Adobe Photoshop—particularly or later—many users encounter an error stating that the application requires Windows 10 Anniversary Update (version 1607) or later. This requirement was established because Adobe aligned its software compatibility with Microsoft’s support lifecycle, which phased out earlier versions of Windows 10 like build 1511. Why You See the Version 1607 Error This requirement was established because Adobe aligned its
This write-up covers why this requirement exists, which versions of Photoshop are affected, how to resolve the issue, and workarounds if you cannot update your OS.
Before attempting any updates, verify which version of Windows you are currently running: Press the on your keyboard. Type winver in the dialog box and press Enter.
If you are still on an older build of Windows 10, you can update using these methods: