Install Microsoft Visio on Windows

Visio is sold on its own, outside the Office suites. Current Visio versions still install with Click-to-Run, the same technology as current Office. That is why Visio has to suit the Office on your PC, and why two different installation routes exist. This guide takes you from your order to a working Visio. Activation is covered in Activate Microsoft Visio.

Your Visio order

You find the product key in two places: your order confirmation email, and My Library in your Lizensa account. It has 25 characters, like XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX.

Your product name tells you the route:

• Visio 2024 or 2021 Professional or Standard MAK. This is the volume edition, which Microsoft calls Visio LTSC Professional or Visio LTSC Standard. You get a volume key and an installer in your Lizensa account.
• Visio 2024, 2021 or 2019 Professional or Standard, also as ESD. These come with a retail key. Microsoft delivers the app after you link the key to your Microsoft account.
• The bundle of Office 2024, Visio 2024 and Project 2024. Retail keys, handled the same way.
• Visio Standard 2016 and Visio Professional 2013. You receive the key only. No installer is in your library for these versions at the moment.

Product pages: Visio Professional 2024 MAK, Visio Standard 2024 MAK, Visio 2021 Professional MAK, Visio 2024 Professional, Visio 2021 Standard, Visio 2019 Professional.

Support status: Microsoft retired Visio 2021 on 13 October 2026. Visio 2019 and 2016 lost support on 14 October 2025. These versions may continue to work, but security updates have stopped.

Three questions before you start

Microsoft requires Office, Visio and Project on one PC to share the same bit version and the same update channel. Products of the same version also cannot mix Click-to-Run with Windows Installer (MSI). Answer these three questions before you download anything:

1. Is Office installed, and which one? Open Excel or Word, then File > Account. Note the name under Product Information. An Update Options button there means Click-to-Run.
2. Is it a volume Office? Office LTSC Professional Plus or Standard is the volume edition. That is also what our library delivers for Office 2024 or 2021 Professional Plus and Standard. Visio LTSC of the same year belongs with it. With our MAK installer, match the year: Visio 2024 MAK with Office LTSC 2024, Visio 2021 MAK with Office LTSC 2021.
3. Is it Microsoft 365 or a retail Office, such as Home & Business? These receive updates on a different channel from the volume editions. Retail Visio belongs with them.

Our Visio LTSC installer is 64-bit and fixed to the volume channel of its year, PerpetualVL2024 or PerpetualVL2021. If the PC has Microsoft 365, a retail Office or a 32-bit Office, do not run it; ask our support first. With no Office on the PC, both Visio routes work. If you are unsure about your answers, send our support the Office name from Product Information before you install.

Download or redeem

Visio with a retail key

You get no installer from us for retail Visio. You link the key to your Microsoft account, and Microsoft supplies the app.

1. Open office.com/setup.
2. Sign in with a Microsoft account, or create a new one. Note which account you used; you need it to reinstall Visio later.
3. Type the product key and complete the steps on the page.

From now on, Visio belongs to that account. For the bundle, enter each of its keys in turn, signed in with the same account.

Visio LTSC with a MAK

Your download link is in your order email and in your account.

1. Sign in to Lizensa and go to My Library.
2. Select Download next to your Visio order.
3. Keep the ISO file somewhere you can find it.

Each click on Download creates a new link that works for 15 minutes at most. After an interrupted download, click Download again.

Expect a large file, about 3.4 to 3.8 GB for Visio 2024 and 2 to 2.3 GB for Visio 2021. Microsoft distributes its volume products in one shared data package, so the ISO is about the size of a full Office ISO. Setup still adds only Visio.

The ISO contains 64-bit Visio in a single language. Your library offers the language of the shop where you ordered; 33 languages exist. If the shop language is not one of them, you receive English (en-US). Ask us before installing if you need a different language.

Visio 2016 and 2013

Your library holds no installer for these two versions right now. Please write to our support with your order number before you start. Avoid downloads from unofficial websites.

Setting up Visio

Retail Visio from your Microsoft account

1. Go to account.microsoft.com, sign in with the account you used at office.com/setup, and open Services & subscriptions.
2. Select Install next to Visio.
3. Need another language, or a 32-bit or 64-bit build? Select Other options. Match the bit version of your Office.
4. Open the setup file. Windows shows "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" Select Yes.
5. Wait for "You're all set!", then select Close.

Visio LTSC from the ISO

Close Word, Excel and Outlook, or at least save your files. The installer shuts open Office apps down by itself.

1. Right-click the ISO file in File Explorer and choose Mount. Windows adds a drive, such as E:.
2. On that drive you see setup.exe, configuration.xml, install.cmd and an Office folder.
3. Right-click install.cmd, choose Run as administrator, and confirm the Windows prompt with Yes.
4. The Office installation window shows the progress. All files come from the ISO; an internet connection is not required.
5. Once the window says the installation is complete, close it. Then right-click the drive and choose Eject.

Only Visio is added. Your existing Office apps are left alone. Microsoft always installs to the system drive, normally C:.

What install.cmd does: it runs Microsoft's Office Deployment Tool, setup.exe, with the instructions from configuration.xml. From Command Prompt as administrator, on the mounted drive, the same step is:

setup.exe /configure configuration.xml

Activating Visio

• Retail key: start Visio, sign in with your Microsoft account from office.com/setup, and accept the licence terms.
• MAK: the ISO contains no key. Visio LTSC begins with Microsoft's generic key for KMS servers in companies. Swap it for your own: File > Account > Change Product Key, type your key, then Activate.

Command Prompt as administrator does the same with these two lines:

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

Offline PC

The ISO installs without internet, but a MAK cannot be activated online then. Add your key with the first command above, start Visio and choose "I want to activate the software by telephone" in the Activation Wizard, then Next. Pick your country or region, phone the number shown and give the installation ID. Type in the confirmation ID and select Next. More detail and every error code: Activate Microsoft Visio.

Is Visio ready?

1. Open Start, type Visio and start it.
2. Go to File > Account.
3. Product Information shows the edition, such as Visio LTSC Professional 2024 or Visio Standard 2021.

With a MAK, also confirm the licence. Run this in Command Prompt as administrator and find the section with Visio in its licence name. It should say ---LICENSED---.

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

Does the edition differ from what you ordered? Remove Visio and install the right download. For Visio 2016 and 2013, talk to our support first.

If something goes wrong

The installer refuses to continue because of other Office products. Bit version, update channel or installation technology do not agree with your Office. Go through the three questions above. Then send our support the Office name shown in File > Account.

Visio opens with a message that it is not activated. Visio is installed, but activation is missing or has failed. Activate it as shown above and note any error code. More: error 0x4004F00C.

0xC004F074 appears during activation. Visio LTSC still carries the generic KMS key and cannot find a KMS server. Enter your MAK with the commands above. More: error 0xC004F074.

The product key is reported as invalid. Key and installation differ. A Visio Standard key does not unlock Visio Professional, and a MAK does not fit retail Visio. More: error 0xC004F050.

office.com/setup says "This product key isn't meant for your region". Microsoft expects the key to be redeemed in the country or region where it was bought. Do not test other keys. Send our support your order number.

office.com/setup refuses the key in some other way. Do not use other websites to redeem it. Contact our support with your order number and the message on screen.

Visio does not appear under Services & subscriptions. First make sure the key was redeemed at office.com/setup. Then check the Microsoft account you are signed in with; it must be the one you used to redeem the key. If Visio is still missing, contact our support.

Still stuck? Contact our support and include your order number and the exact message.