Visual Studio 2026

Question

Please assist. I purchase Visual Studio 2026 Professional on July 20, 2026. My current visual studio (although I am using the same email as the account for purchase) is referring to a trial version. HOw do I connect my full version as my trial will expire in 5 days.

Answer 1

If you purchased Visual Studio Professional 2026 through the Microsoft Store, first activate the retail subscription from your purchase confirmation, and then sign in to the IDE so Visual Studio can replace the trial license with your paid entitlement.

1. Activate the purchased subscription

Using the same email in Visual Studio does not by itself complete the activation of a retail purchase.

1. Find the Microsoft Store payment confirmation email or purchase confirmation page.
2. Select Click here to sign in.
3. On the Visual Studio subscription activation page, enter the email address to which the subscription should be assigned.
4. Sign in using that account:
   • Choose the personal Microsoft account flow for a personal account.
   • Choose the organization’s sign-in flow for a work or school account.
5. Enter the 5×5 product key shown in the confirmation email or payment confirmation page, and select Activate.
6. Confirm that Visual Studio Professional now appears on the Subscriptions page.

These steps activate the retail subscription against your account; they do not enter the key directly into Visual Studio 2026.[^1^](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Visual Studio subscriptions are available through the Microsoft Store")

2. Refresh the license in Visual Studio 2026

Visual Studio 2026 uses account sign-in to verify and unlock the IDE; it does not normally require an IDE product key.[^2^](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Access and authenticate the Visual Studio IDE by signing in")

1. Open Visual Studio.
2. Go to File > Account Settings.
3. If the purchase account is not listed under All Accounts, select + Add and sign in with the exact account activated in step 1.
4. If it is already listed but the trial remains, sign out of that account and sign back in to refresh its license token.
5. Review the license information on the right side of Account Settings. It should change from a trial to Visual Studio Professional.

Visual Studio should automatically verify the active subscription after sign-in and unlock the IDE.^3^

If the subscription does not appear

• Missing confirmation email or retail key: Contact Microsoft Store Support. Microsoft documents this as the route for retrieving the information required to activate a Microsoft Store purchase.[^1^](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/subscriptions/[Subscription ID] "Visual Studio subscriptions are available through the Microsoft Store")
• Purchase is activated but absent from the Subscriptions page: Contact Visual Studio Subscription Support through the support option provided on the same retail-subscription page.
• Purchased through an employer or Volume Licensing: Ask the organization’s Visual Studio subscription administrator to confirm that the subscription is assigned to your account. Volume Licensing deployments follow a different assignment and activation process.
• Subscription appears correctly, but the IDE still reports a trial: Contact Visual Studio support and include a screenshot of File > Account Settings, the exact trial message, and proof of purchase. Do not post the product key or order details publicly.

---

References

1. [Visual Studio subscriptions are available through the Microsoft Store](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
2. [Access and authenticate the Visual Studio IDE by signing in](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/subscriptions/[Subscription ID])
3. Extend a Trial Version or Update a License - Visual Studio (Windows ...