Transfer Visio License to new Device

Question

I have Microsoft 365 Family subscription and have purchased Visio Professional 2024.

I have a new PC and installed and activated Office from the subscription without issues.

But Visio keeps on saying that the license is being used on another computer. I have uninstalled Office 365 and Visio completely on the old computer, but it keeps on stating that I need to buy another Visio license or contact support to transfer the license to the new computer. How should I proceed?

Answer 1

Hi @João Bravo, 

I hope you’re having a great day. I truly appreciate your patience and the details you provided. 

The message “this license is being used on another computer” usually means that the Visio license has not yet been released or transferred from the old device, depending on the type of license you own. 

Here are my recommendations, please follow the steps below: 

A - Detailed guidance (based on your Visio license type) 

First, please confirm which Visio license you have: 

• Please open Visio > File > Account and check the Product Information section (for example: Visio Professional 2024, Visio LTSC, or Visio Plan 2). 
• You can also sign in to account.microsoft.com/services to see whether Visio is linked to your Microsoft account. 

This step is important, as the resolution depends on the license type. 

Scenario A - Visio Plan 2 (subscription, per-user) 

1/ From the old computer (or via a web browser), sign in to https://account.microsoft.com, go to Services & subscriptions > Apps & devices, and sign out/deactivate the old device. 

Please note: it can take up to 72 hours for the deactivation to fully sync. 

2/ On the new PC, sign in using the same Microsoft account and download/install Visio from Apps & devices. 

Scenario B - Visio Professional 2024 / 2021 (one-time purchase - retail) 

1/ Make sure the product key has been redeemed at office.com/setup and linked to your Microsoft account. Once linked, Visio should be installed from the Services & subscriptions page (no product key entry required). 

2/ If Visio still shows the message that the license is in use on another computer: 

• One-time purchase Visio licenses are device-based. Uninstalling Visio from the old PC does not automatically release the activation. 
• In this case, you will need to contact Microsoft Support so they can unassign the license from the old device and transfer it to your new PC. This process is usually quick and can be completed via online chat. 

Scenario C - Visio LTSC 2024 (Volume License - MAK/KMS) 

• If Visio was activated using a MAK key and the activation limit has been reached, uninstalling from the old PC will not restore the activation count. 
• You’ll need to contact your Volume Licensing administrator or reseller to reset the activation count, or attempt phone activation (using slui 4). 

Also, please notes: 

• Office and Visio must use the same architecture (both 64-bit or both 32-bit). 
• All components must be installed using Click-to-Run; MSI-based installations cannot coexist. 
• Office 2019/2021/2024, Microsoft 365 Apps, and Visio 2019/2021/2024 are compatible when these conditions are met. 

For additional information, you can refer to these articles:  

• Install Visio or access Visio for the web - Microsoft Support 
• Deactivate an installation of Office - Microsoft Support 

B - Contact Support 

If your license is valid and the message still appears, please contact Microsoft Support so they can investigate the issue at the licensing level. 

You can reach them via: Contact Us - Microsoft Support 

We kindly ask for your understanding that, as moderators, we do not have access to the administrative tools or permissions required to investigate or modify these configurations. We also do not have the capability to initiate remote sessions for direct assistance. Our role is to guide users to the appropriate resources and support channels.     

I hope this information is helpful. Should you have any further questions or need additional assistance, feel free to reach out.   

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