The 14th of October 2025 is fast approaching. I still have a few virtual machines (VMs) running Windows 10, and they are still functional. I only use Windows to have access to Photoshop, and the version of Photoshop I have (v24.1) works perfectly fine on Windows 10.
Should I upgrade my virtual machines to Windows 11? Since my primary machine operates on Linux, should I explore using Wine to run Photoshop? I’ve tried.
My first attempt at upgrading a Windows 10 VM to Windows 11 was a disaster. The installer immediately rejected my hardware as inadequate. I eventually managed to get one upgraded using some workarounds that bypassed the hardware checks, but now I’m stuck on 22H2. Microsoft, in their infinite wisdom, decided to throw in another hardware check for updates past 22H2, and every workaround I’ve tried has been useless. The update screen now shows “Your version of Windows has reached the end of service.” I suspect it’s because I’m running this in a VM, making it an edge-case problem, but at this point I’ve given up and am stuck with what I have.
If I really cared about getting Windows 11 working, I’d probably keep trying, but honestly? I don’t need the headache. Windows 10 does everything I need it to do. Plus, when I’ve tried running Photoshop on Windows 11, it’s sluggish compared to Windows 10. For what I’m doing, Windows 10 is perfect — it’s streamlined, boots up quickly, and stays out of my way while I’m working. I am actually looking forward to October when support ends because I’ll finally be free from those ridiculous 30-minute update marathons!
I’ll admit my situation is probably relatable to less than 0.00000001% of Windows 10 users, and I genuinely feel sorry for people being forced into hardware upgrades they don’t want or need. For my use case, Windows 11 offers nothing worthwhile. I’ve been doing this long enough to know I can’t be bothered fiddling with operating systems anymore, particularly anything from Microsoft. An operating system should work quietly in the background. I want to use it to get things done, not spend time fighting with it.
Wine? Cheers for offering but I don’t drink! :-) I’ve had a go at getting Photoshop working through Wine a couple of times before, but the performance was dreadful.
So Windows 10 4Eva it is. I’m fully aware of the security risks that come with running unsupported software. As I mentioned earlier, I only use Windows for one thing: running Photoshop. That’s literally it. I can always disconnect the VM from the internet if needed. Like I said, my situation might only apply to less than 0.00000001% of Windows 10 users.