My Visio product key has 26 characters, it looks legit but doesnt work, what do I do?>

Dear Daniel

A genuine Microsoft product key is 25 characters, usually shown in five groups of five separated by dashes. A 26 character code is most likely not a valid product key. It may contain an extra character, be an order or redemption code rather than the key itself, or have been supplied incorrectly by the seller. Here is what I would suggest:

1. Compare the code character by character against your purchase email or product card, watching for an extra letter, number, space, or stray punctuation mark.
2. Go to setup.office.com, sign in with your Microsoft account, and enter the key there. The page will tell you whether the key is invalid or already redeemed.
3. If it reports the key as already used, sign in at account.microsoft.com/services with the Microsoft account you originally redeemed it with. The licence may already be attached to that account.
4. If the code came from a retailer or third party marketplace, contact the seller and ask for the correct 25 character key or a refund.

Please do not post the key itself here, as anyone who sees it could redeem it.

One thing worth checking as well: if Visio was provided by your workplace or school, it may be assigned through a subscription rather than a product key, in which case signing in with your work or school account is all that is needed.

Let me know what the redemption page says and we can take it from there.

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