Activate Microsoft Visio: account, MAK or telephone

During activation, Microsoft checks your product key and unlocks Visio. Without it, Visio runs through a grace period and then blocks most editing. Your key type decides which of the ways below applies. Install Visio first if you have not done so yet: Install Microsoft Visio.

Your key at a glance

Find the key in your order confirmation email, or under My Library when you are signed in to Lizensa. This page writes it as XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

Retail key. This applies to Visio 2024 Professional, Visio 2024 Standard, the 2021 and 2019 editions, the ESD versions and the bundle of Office 2024, Visio 2024 and Project 2024. You link the key to a Microsoft account once, at office.com/setup. Visio then activates through that account.

MAK (Multiple Activation Key). This applies to Visio Professional 2024 MAK, Visio Standard 2024 MAK, Visio 2021 Professional MAK and Visio 2021 Standard MAK. These are the volume editions, called Visio LTSC by Microsoft. You enter the MAK in Visio yourself. Each successful activation uses up one of the activations Microsoft allows for that key.

Visio Standard 2016 and Visio Professional 2013. Only the key is delivered, and your library has no installer for these versions yet. Talk to our support before you go any further.

Microsoft's support for Visio 2021 ended on 13 October 2026, and for Visio 2019 and 2016 on 14 October 2025. These versions no longer receive security fixes.

Does your Visio fit the key?

Visio refuses a key that was made for a different product. Before you activate, compare your order with the installed Visio:

1. Open Visio, then File > Account.
2. Read the name under Product Information, for example Visio LTSC Standard 2021.
3. Check it against your order. Professional and Standard must agree, the year must agree, and the licence type must agree. A MAK needs the volume edition, Visio LTSC, which is what the installer in your Lizensa library contains; your download link is in your order email and in your account. A retail key needs Visio from your Microsoft account.

If anything differs, reinstall the right Visio before you try to activate.

Installation first

Visio must be completely installed before it can be activated:

• Retail: link the key at office.com/setup, then install Visio from Services & subscriptions at account.microsoft.com. Retail Visio goes with Microsoft 365 or a retail Office.
• MAK: save open Office files first, because setup closes running Office apps. Mount the ISO from your library and start install.cmd with Run as administrator. Only Visio is added.

On one PC, Visio and Office must both be 32-bit or both 64-bit, and must use the same update channel. Products of the same version cannot mix Click-to-Run and MSI. Our Visio LTSC installer is 64-bit and tied to the volume channel of its year. It suits volume Office LTSC of the same year. If you have Microsoft 365, a retail Office or a 32-bit Office, ask our support before installing it. The installation guide walks you through the check.

Activate Visio

Retail key: activation through your Microsoft account

1. Has the key been linked yet? If not, go to office.com/setup, sign in and enter it.
2. Start Visio. Sign in with the same Microsoft account when Visio asks.
3. Accept the licence terms.

Visio picks up the licence from your account. Should the Activation Wizard appear, go through its steps. Pick the telephone option there only if the internet route fails.

MAK: activating Visio LTSC

The Visio installer from your library contains no key of its own. Visio LTSC therefore starts with Microsoft's generic volume key, which only works with a company KMS server. Replace it with your MAK, either in Visio or in Command Prompt.

Through the Visio menu

1. Go to File > Account.
2. Select Change Product Key in the Product Information area.
3. Enter the MAK, then select Activate.

By default, Windows users without administrator rights cannot activate volume products with a MAK. When the menu option is missing or does not work, sign in to Windows with an administrator account and use Command Prompt instead.

Through Command Prompt

1. Open Start and type cmd. Right-click Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.
2. Add your key:

cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /inpkey:XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX

3. Send the activation to Microsoft:

cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /act

Look for <Product activation successful> at the end of the output. OSPP.VBS handles all volume Office products installed on the PC, so it can report more than Visio.

If the path is not found, look for the script in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\root\Office16. If it is there, change the path in both commands.

Activating by telephone

Telephone activation is for a PC without internet access, or for when online activation fails. If Microsoft says the MAK has reached its activation limit, contact our support.

Using the Activation Wizard

1. With a MAK, add your key first, through Change Product Key or the /inpkey command. Start Visio again.
2. In the Activation Wizard, select "I want to activate the software by telephone" and then Next.
3. Choose your country or region and phone the number shown.
4. Give the installation ID shown. Type in the confirmation ID you receive and select Next.

Using Command Prompt (MAK only)

This route suits a PC where Visio is the only volume product not yet activated. Show the installation ID in Command Prompt as administrator:

cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /dinstid

Microsoft publishes the telephone numbers per country on its activation centres page. After the call, enter the confirmation ID without spaces or hyphens:

cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /actcid:CONFIRMATIONID

Make sure Visio is activated

Retail key: open File > Account in Visio. Under Product Information you see your edition and no request to activate. At account.microsoft.com, Visio is listed under Services & subscriptions.

MAK: run this in Command Prompt as administrator:

cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /dstatus

Each volume product gets its own section. Go to the section with Visio in its licence name and check two lines:

• LICENSE STATUS: ---LICENSED---
• Last 5 characters of installed product key: must match the end of your MAK.

If the section shows ---NOTIFICATIONS---, Visio is still unactivated. If the five characters differ, a different key is installed. Either way, repeat the /inpkey and /act commands.

If something goes wrong

Visio shows a bar saying it is not activated. Check first that the installed edition matches your key. Then follow the steps for your key type above. Background: error 0x4004F00C.

Error 0xC004F074 (no KMS server could be contacted). Visio LTSC is still using the generic KMS key. Enter your MAK with /inpkey, then run /act. See error 0xC004F074.

Error 0xC004F050 (the product key is invalid). Key and installed Visio do not match. Typical cases: a Standard key on Visio Professional, a retail key on Visio LTSC, or a 2021 key on Visio 2024. See error 0xC004F050.

Error 0xC004C020 (the MAK limit is exceeded). All activations for this key are used up. Do not keep trying; send our support your order number. See error 0xC004C020.

Error 0x80070005 (access denied). The command ran without administrator rights. Start Command Prompt with Run as administrator and enter the command again. See error 0x80070005.

Any other code. OSPP.VBS can explain codes for you. Replace the example code with yours:

cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\OSPP.VBS" /ddescr:0xC004F050

Visio with a retail key asks for a key after you sign in. Check under File > Account which Microsoft account is signed in. If it is not the one you used at office.com/setup, sign out and sign in with the right account.

The key is refused at office.com/setup. With "This product key has already been used", the key is already linked to a Microsoft account; sign in there and look under Services & subscriptions. For any other refusal, do not try other websites. Send our support your order number and the exact message.

New PC or new main board. If Visio asks to be activated again, follow the steps for your key type. With a retail key, install from your Microsoft account and sign in. With a MAK, enter the key and activate; this uses another activation of the key.

Still stuck? Contact our support. Include your order number, the last five characters of your key and the complete error message.