How to Switch from Visio Professional 2019 to Visio Online Plan 2
Question details
The user needs to switch their Microsoft Visio license from Professional 2019 to Visio Online Plan 2, but the old license persists.
- Product
- Microsoft Visio
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Upgrading or changing a Visio license from a standalone product key to an account-based subscription.
- Observed behavior
- Visio continues to display the Professional 2019 license instead of the newly assigned Visio Online Plan 2 license, even after restarting and signing out.
Ensure you have administrator privileges on your computer, as removing a product key requires running an elevated Command Prompt.
Remove the Visio Professional 2019 Product Key Using Command Prompt
Use the built-in Office licensing script to identify and remove the old standalone product key so that Visio can recognize your new subscription.
When switching from a volume or retail standalone license to a subscription license, Microsoft Office applications often hold onto the original product key. Manually unpinning the old key forces the software to authenticate using your new Office 365 credentials.
Click the Start menu, type 'cmd', right-click on 'Command Prompt', and select 'Run as administrator'.
Type the command `cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\ospp.vbs" /dstatus` and press Enter. This will display all currently installed Office licenses.
Look through the command output to find the entry for Visio Professional 2019. Note the 'Last 5 characters of installed product key' (e.g., XXXXX).
Type the command `cscript "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Office\Office16\ospp.vbs" /unpkey:XXXXX` (replace XXXXX with the 5 characters you found) and press Enter to remove the key.
Close the Command Prompt, open Microsoft Visio, and sign in with the work or school account assigned to your Plan 2 subscription to complete the activation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Visio showing the wrong license even after I signed in with my new account?
Visio generally prioritizes standalone product keys over account-based subscription licenses. The old key must be manually uninstalled for the application to properly check your new Plan 2 subscription status.
Do I need to uninstall Visio Professional 2019 to switch to Plan 2?
No, you do not need to uninstall or reinstall the Visio application. You only need to remove the existing product key using the Command Prompt script and sign in with your updated credentials.
What if the ospp.vbs script is not found in my Program Files folder?
The location of the ospp.vbs script depends on whether you have a 32-bit or 64-bit installation of Office. If it is not located in the standard 'Program Files' folder, try looking in the 'Program Files (x86)' directory.
