Visio users can freely distribute Visio drawings and diagrams to team members, partners, customers, or others, even if the recipients do not have Visio installed on their computers. Internet Explorer also allows for printing, although this is limited to the portions of the drawings that appear in the current view.

The Visio Viewer 2002 enables users to discover the advantages of using Visio drawings, charts, and illustrations in a Web-based environment. It is particularly useful for teams that need to collaborate from different locations.

Related articles

For more information, see:

• Deploy Microsoft Visio Viewer 2002 (for administrators)
• Share Visio Drawing Files with Everyone
• Review Visio Drawings Even If You Don't Have Visio Installed

Required software

You must have Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 or later, and any of the following Microsoft operating systems:

• Microsoft Windows® 98 Second Edition (SE)
  Prerequisite: Install the updated Windows installer for Windows 98
• Microsoft Windows® Millennium Edition (ME)
• Microsoft Windows NT® 4.0 with Service Pack 6 or later
  Prerequisite: Install the updated Windows installer for Windows NT
• Microsoft Windows® 2000 (any edition)
• Microsoft Windows® XP (any edition)

Recommended system hardware

The Visio Viewer 2002 requires the following minimum hardware:

1. Intel-Pentium or AMD-Athlon class processor running at 200 megahertz (MHz) or higher.
2. Random access memory (RAM):
   • For Windows 98 SE: 24 megabytes (MB) of RAM for the operating system and an additional 16 MB of RAM for the Visio Viewer.
   • For Windows ME, NT Workstation 4.0, or NT Server 4.0: 32 MB of RAM for the operation system and an additional 16 MB of RAM for the Visio Viewer.
   • For Windows 2000 or XP: 64 MB of RAM for the operating system and an additional 16 MB of RAM for the Visio Viewer.
      
3. At least 15 MB of available hard disk drive space.
4. Video adapter:
   • Minimum: VGA (640 x 480) or higher resolution graphic card.
   • Recommended: Super VGA (800 x 600) or higher resolution graphic card.
      
5. Microsoft Mouse, Microsoft IntelliMouse®, or compatible pointing device.

To install this download:

1. You may want to print this page to use as a reference when you are offline.
2. Download the file from the Microsoft Office Tools on the Web site by clicking the Download Now button (above) and following the instructions in the dialog boxes.
3. Double-click the vviewer.exe program file on your hard disk to start the setup program.
4. Follow the instructions on the screen to complete the installation.

Instructions for use:

The following instructions apply if you accept the default selection in the File Associations dialog box during installation, associating all Visio file types with the Visio Viewer. If the default is not used, these files will not be opened automatically by the Viewer.

1. There are three ways to view a drawing:

• In Internet Explorer, on the File menu, click Open, click Browse, navigate to the Visio file (VSD or VDX), select your file and click Open, and then click OK. Internet Explorer will start the Visio Viewer to render the drawing in the browser window.
• In Windows Explorer, double-click any Visio drawing file (VSD or VDX). Internet Explorer starts the Visio Viewer to render the drawing in the browser window.
• With Internet Explorer and the Visio Viewer already started, drag a drawing file (VSD or VDX) and drop it onto the Visio Viewer frame. The new file will be rendered in the browser window.

2. The toolbar controls shown in the drawing below are available for viewing Visio drawings in the Internet Explorer Web browser.

1. About Microsoft Visio Viewer 2002
2. Drawing page selection
3. Zoom in
4. Zoom out
5. Zoom page
6. Zoom to %
7. Open this drawing in Visio (only active if Microsoft Visio is installed on your computer)
8. Drawing shape properties & display properties
9. Help (includes usage tips)

To remove this download:

1. On the Start menu, point to Settings and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
3. In the list of currently installed programs, select Microsoft Visio Viewer 2002 and then click Remove or Add/Remove. If a dialog box appears, follow the instructions to remove the program.
4. Click Yes or OK to confirm that you want to remove the program.

For support of this download:

If you are experiencing problems with this download or the Microsoft Office Tools on the Web site, please visit the Microsoft Product Support site for assistance.