, where specialized drivers may prevent standard OS updates. Why 1607 Matters
To help me provide more specific troubleshooting steps, could you tell me: What did you see when running winver ?
: Many users on Enterprise licenses cannot freely update their OS due to IT department restrictions, leaving them unable to run newer Photoshop versions. Update Glitches , where specialized drivers may prevent standard OS updates
The "Adobe Photoshop requires Windows 10 Anniversary update (version 1607)" error is a compatibility safeguard, not a system failure. For most standard Windows 10 users, the fix involves updating their system to the latest version. For those on unsupported LTSC editions, a clean installation of a standard Windows edition is the only reliable long-term solution [11†L47-L48]. Running an up-to-date operating system is crucial for security, compatibility with modern software like Photoshop, and overall system stability, so update as soon as possible to get back to creating your best work.
This forces Photoshop to skip the version check by tricking it into seeing Version 1809. Only do this if your actual winver shows Version 1607 or higher. Update Glitches The "Adobe Photoshop requires Windows 10
Follow these troubleshooting methods in order to bypass or resolve the version block. Method 1: Update Your Windows 10 Operating System
In short: The code libraries used by modern Photoshop simply call functions that are missing on pre-Anniversary Update systems. Attempting to run Photoshop on an older build would lead to crashes, graphical glitches, or security vulnerabilities. Running an up-to-date operating system is crucial for
If a computer cannot update to Windows 10 Version 1607 or later, it almost certainly fails the hardware requirements for modern Photoshop (Specifically: SSE4.2 and AVX support, and DX12 capable GPUs).
Major Windows updates require at least 20 GB to 30 GB of free space on your system drive (usually C:). Clear out temporary files or uninstall unused apps.
Note: If your Windows Update utility is broken or stuck, download the official directly from Microsoft’s website to force the latest update. Step 3: Turn Off Compatibility Mode
Fortunately, this is a highly fixable issue. Below is a comprehensive guide explaining why this error happens and the step-by-step solutions to get Photoshop running on your system. Why Does Photoshop Require Windows 10 Version 1607?