Visio Viewer Internet Explorer 11

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Simple yet efficient tool that helps you check out diagrams (e.g. VSD, VSS, VST, VDX) created using Microsoft Visio with the aid of Internet Explorer

Microsoft Office is definitely one of the most comprehensive suites available for the Windows operating system, but one of its disadvantages is that its generated file formats are not natively supported by the OS, meaning they cannot be accessed without a dedicated application, not even to preview their contents.

Microsoft made Visio 2013 for Windows available in two editions: Standard and Professional. The Standard and Professional editions share the same interface, but the Professional edition has additional templates for more advanced diagrams and layouts, as well as capabilities intended to make it easy for users to connect their diagrams to data sources and to display their data graphically. Nov 14, 2012 On the Internet Explorer File menu, click Open. In the Open dialog box, select a Visio drawing. Internet Explorer loads Visio Viewer, which then renders the drawing in the browser window. If an Internet Explorer window is already open, you can drag and drop a Visio drawing file into the window.

Viewer

When it comes to previewing the diagrams created using Microsoft Visio, one can use a standalone tool that opens these files or they can use Microsoft Visio Viewer, an app that allows users to rely on their Internet Explorer to view the diagrams, without being able to modify their contents.

How it works

In other words, after Microsoft Visio Viewer is installed, when tying to open any Visio file, the currently installed version of Internet Explorer launches and it displays the chart.

Supported Microsoft Visio file formats

Visio Viewer Internet Explorer 11 Download

The benefit of using IE for opening files with the VSD, VSS, VST, VDX, VSX, and VTX extensions is that users get a familiar environment to manage their documents, and do not need to learn new hotkey combinations or get used to other menus.

Navigation mode

Microsoft Visio Viewer also offers users the possibility to enlarge the chart to allow them to carefully analyze each detail or to zoom out to get a clear overview of all the components of the diagram. The properties of each shape can be explored, along with the display settings or the markup and layer ones.

Where it falls short

Considering it is basically a viewer, the software does not support stencils, rulers, guides, panes, or guide points, therefore these are not displayed. The same applies to embedded DGN drawings, hyperlinks associated with the drawing page, rotated pages or the drawing page properties.

Bottom line

To conclude, Microsoft Visio Viewer can help users preview their Visio diagrams and explore them within any windows of Internet Explorer they might have on their computer. However, no editing actions are supported, so additional tools are required for modifying the charts.

Filed under

Microsoft Visio Viewer was reviewed by Giorgiana Arghire
4.0/5
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Microsoft Visio Viewer 2013

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runs on:
Windows 8 32/64 bit
Windows 7 32/64 bit
file size:
11.1 MB
filename:
visioviewer32bit.exe
main category:
Office tools
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Oh, the joy of reusing technology. Office 365 leverages the App-V technology, however slightly modified and primarily used as a delivery method with no isolation. App-V in comparision is used more for its isolation and to be honest – not so much for its delivery mechanism.

In addition – since Windows 10 – 1607 the App-V client is now a Windows Feature.

Now, for fun – lets try these steps;

  1. Install Windows 10 – 1607
  2. Install any version of Office 365 ProPlus

Find a Visio drawing and open it. Most likely it will be opened with the Visio Viewer – which is a component part of Office 365 ProPlus. Visio Viewer is just an ActiveX component and will therefore load the drawing inside Internet Explorer 11.

let’s add a third-step to this process….

Internet

3. Open an elevated Powershell prompt and type Enable-AppV. Press the enter-key

Once you attempt to re-open the Visio-drawing you will most likely see a blank Internet Explorer-page instead of the Visio Viewer ActiveX component. The below is from a minimal window.

All Microsoft components and suddenly we have a break scenario? The details are actually clarified in a knowledgebase-article relating to Skype for Business, Internet Explorer and App-V;

By default, Explorer.exe and Internet Explorer are listed there. Therefore, when the iexplore.exe process runs, it has the APPVEntsubsystem32.dllloaded in Internet Explorer. When Office C2R detects that APPVEntsubsystem32.dll is loaded into Internet Explorer, it does not load jitv.dll or APPVISVSubsystem32.dll into Internet Explorer. As a result, there is no registry redirection support.
When the JavaScript that’s running in Internet Explorer tries to create any ActiveX objects that are part of the Office C2R package, that operation fails and the Office C2R and SharePoint integration are broken. Office C2R and App-V dynamic virtualization aren’t designed to co-exist; therefore, Office C2R disables Dynamic Virtualization when it detects that AppV client binaries are loaded in Internet Explorer to prevent double hooking.

The article unfortunately provides no fix for a Windows 10 – 1607 unless someone is wanting to decrease the feature set for App-V. Browsing the web allows a little gem to be spotted in the comment section of Dan Gough’s amazing blog – the comment is from an Andrew G:

and also there is a registry key suggested by MS:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREMicrosoftClickToRunOverRide
keyname=AllowJitvInAppvVirtualizedProcess (reg_dword)
keyvalue=1

Visio Internet Browser

Searching for this registry key on google presents only a few results (one spiceworks thread) are found. A hidden gem, I presume?

Add the registry key and immediately the Visio drawing can be opened without issues

2017-08-22 Update

According to Roy Essers – these registry keys will be automatically created on Windows 10 – 1703

Fun isn't it, on 1703 with O365 Ive noticed the key will be created as soon an office component starts.

Visio Viewer Internet Explorer 11 Free

— Roy Essers (@Royessers) August 21, 2017