Adobe Photoshop Requires Windows 10 Anniversary Update -version 1607- [portable] Page
If neither updating Windows nor installing an older version of Photoshop is feasible, you may need to consider other paths.
If, for some reason, updating Windows is absolutely impossible for you (e.g., you are on a tightly controlled work computer or legacy hardware), you can attempt to use an older version of Photoshop that was designed to run on your operating system.
While not a "feature" users see, this is the technical root cause.
: Windows 10 64-bit (version 22H2 or later) or Windows 11. RAM : 8 GB minimum (16 GB or more recommended). If neither updating Windows nor installing an older
: Click Apply , then OK . Restart your computer and try launching the installer again. 2. Update Your Windows Operating System
Download and install all available feature and quality updates.
By following the steps in this guide—checking your OS version, updating through Windows Update, and troubleshooting the Creative Cloud app—you can resolve the issue and get back to creating. If updating is not a viable option for you, remember that installing an older version of Photoshop or exploring web-based alternatives like GIMP or Photopea are excellent fallback solutions. : Windows 10 64-bit (version 22H2 or later) or Windows 11
Before updating, confirm which version you are currently running: Press , type winver , and hit Enter .
and subsequent early versions, it is now an outdated baseline. Modern versions of Photoshop have significantly higher requirements. Current Windows Compatibility (2025/2026)
: Newer Windows updates introduced better DirectX 12 support, which Photoshop uses heavily for canvas rendering. Restart your computer and try launching the installer again
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Adobe often introduces features that rely on newer Windows APIs found in specific updates. For instance, high-density monitor support and per-monitor scaling improvements became standard in later Windows 10 builds.