Office 2016 uninstalls my Visio 2013

Your experience was far superior to mine.

I called the Microsoft Support line here in Australia and, after a considerable wait, was told to call +1 855 426 0035 (a United States number). After about 45 minutes, a technician responded who said that they couldn't help but would hand me over to the Office Support team. Eventually I reached a technician who asked for remote access to my PC and who flitted around various things. I even pointed out the MS internal document that you quote, which she obviously read, since the cursor followed every word...

She then told me that "this is an emerging issue. Stay with Office 2013 until we get it resolved." Judging by SeePrompt's post above, this will never happen.

Do I have to write to Satya Nadella to get this problem fixed?

OK - my problem is now solved as well, but it took two hours on the phone explaining the situation to three different support people. Eventually, I had to install a remote management tool on my PC and he then emailed me a link that added an activated version of Visio 2016 Pro to my MS account. I installed it, and the problem is solved. No charge. He said that a new fix was being developed that would be more effective than requiring every angry Visio or Project user to spend hours on the phone. I suppose that's a good idea.

Along the way, he shared this internal MS document with me:

Description: Office 365 subscribers who upgrade to Office 2016 AND have Visio or Project 2013 on their PC will get a warning message that indicates Visio and/or Project will be removed before they install. If they continue with the upgrade, they lose the 2013 product.

This applies to any of these Visio or Project SKUs:

• Visio Standard 2013

• Visio Professional 2013

• Project Standard 2013

• Project Professional 2013

Make It Right: Provide a free replacement Project/Visio 2016 version of the perpetual key to resolve the issue. --------------------------------------

Hopefully this will help others in the same situation to resolve this problem, which never should have occurred in the first place.

David Basskin

Toronto, Canada

OK Everyone,

I have good news and some bad.

Good News:  I now have a free upgrade to a perpetual license of Visio 2016.  So I'm eating my words.  MS did the honorable thing.  My sincere apologies to Bill.

Bad News:  Office 2013 is fundamentally incompatible with 2016 and it does not look like it ever will be.

Here's the process that (finally) worked.

• Tech support called me back and 90min later I have a free upgrade.  The (only) number that worked was 866-452-4755.
• I worked with Pankaj
• I had to allow remote access (make sure you create a restore point prior to doing this!!!!!)
• I was assigned a case number.
• Make sure that you expect them to call you back if you are disconnected
• Oddly, I had to create an entirely new MS user account.  I have no idea why, but he said there was no other choice.  So, now I have two.
• He assigned the free 2016 Visio Standard license to my new account.
• If you've installed the free trial of Visio 2016 (as I did), you do not need to uninstall first.  The new install overwrites it.
• Once installed, you can use your old MS account.  The new account is necessary only for the new perpetual license.

Good luck everyone.  I suspect the free upgrades will only apply to those willing to go through this process in the immediate future.  I do not see this as sustainable in that I can get a license of 2013 Visio for $100 now that the new 2016 version is out for $300.  So my advice is to move immediately.

And the pit grows...

I've been accessing help desk.  First attempt, I am disconnected mid sentence.  Second time, I am redirected to a different department, and then to the pro level support number.  Third call, the number they gave me was for Canada, which told be that since I'm in the US, I had to call another number.  Fourth call, after repeating my issue three times, I am given another phone number for the department knowledgeable about Visio issues.  Fifth call, an automated process with a promise to call be back.  I'll update everyone on what new level of Hell I'm venturing into.  1hr into my morning and, so far, nothing.

I think it is critical to note that this is not a new problem.  Accounts of this issue go back 6mo with 2016 Office Preview, which did exactly the same thing for 2013 Visio and Project.  MS made absolutely no effort to offer a solution.  I am confident the 2016 Visio 60d free trial reports reflect a standard pacification strategy to keep complaints to a minimum during the high-visibility rollout of Office 2016.  Sixty days from now I suspect everyone with this issue will be summarily abandoned.  The best (and maybe only chance) to get this issue resolved is by making noise now.  I suggest writing your favorite tech blogging site to start.  I also think it's likely this thread will be nuked by MS if the press picks up on this.  I'd suggest some of us make a copy of this thread just in case.