7 ways to open a .vsdx file or rescue its pictures in 2026
Pick the method that matches your computer and what you need to do with the diagram. The first one works everywhere with nothing to install.
Method 1: Publish Media Software
Easiest — no installA no-install route, and the same steps work for .vsd, .vdx and .vsdm. It's a viewer and page editor, so you can't redraw connectors or save the file back as .vsdx.
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Go to publishmediasoftware.com and sign up free
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Drag the .vsdx file onto the upload area
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Scroll through each diagram page
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Check the Import Report for swapped fonts
Method 2: Microsoft Visio (desktop)
If you already own VisioIf Visio is installed, it opens .vsdx and .vsd natively with every feature available. It costs money and runs only on Windows.
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Double-click the .vsdx file in File Explorer
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If another app opens it, right-click › Open with › Visio
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Use File › Export › Create PDF/XPS Document for a PDF copy
Method 3: LibreOffice Draw
Best free desktop appA solid free desktop choice that opens both .vsd and .vsdx and can export PDF. Complex diagrams may shift a little, and you need to install it first.
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Download LibreOffice from libreoffice.org and install it
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Open LibreOffice and choose File › Open
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Select the .vsdx file — it opens in Draw
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Use File › Export as › Export as PDF to share it
Method 4: draw.io (diagrams.net)
Free tool — keep drawingImports .vsdx into a free, open-source diagram editor, handy if you want to keep drawing. The imported file becomes a draw.io diagram, and some Visio formatting may change.
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Open app.diagrams.net in your browser
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Choose where to save your diagrams when asked
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Open the .vsdx from your device via the File menu
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Review the shapes and fix any styling that moved
Method 5: Visio for the web
For Microsoft 365 subscribersMicrosoft's online version keeps the diagram in Visio format. You need a qualifying subscription, and you'll usually upload the file to OneDrive or SharePoint first.
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Sign in to Microsoft 365 in your browser
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Upload the .vsdx file to OneDrive
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Click the file to open it in Visio for the web
Method 6: Lucidchart
For ongoing diagram workImports Visio files into an online diagram editor. Good if you'll keep working on the diagram; the free plan has limits, and you need a Lucid account.
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Sign up or log in at lucidchart.com
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Choose the option to import a document
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Pick Visio as the source and upload the .vsdx
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Open the imported diagram to view it
Method 7: Rename a copy to .zip
Rescue pictures onlyBecause a .vsdx is a ZIP package, renaming a copy to .zip lets you pull out the embedded pictures. You won't see the diagram itself, and the trick doesn't work on older binary .vsd files.
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Make a copy of the .vsdx file
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Rename the copy's extension from .vsdx to .zip
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Open the .zip, then the visio › media folder, to find the pictures
What can't open a .vsd or .vsdx file?
These programs come up often when people search for help, but none of them can show a Visio drawing.
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Windows Photos and Paint
They open pictures, not diagrams. A .vsdx file is a package of XML drawing data, so image apps don't recognize it.
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Apple Preview
Preview shows PDFs and images, and macOS has no built-in Visio reader. Mac users need a browser tool or LibreOffice Draw.
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Adobe Acrobat Reader
Acrobat Reader opens PDFs only. Ask the sender for a PDF copy, or open the .vsdx elsewhere and make the PDF yourself.
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Visio Viewer instructions from old guides
Old how-to articles say to install Visio Viewer, but it displayed diagrams inside Internet Explorer, which Microsoft retired in June 2022.
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Password-protected .vsdx files
PublishMedia can't open encrypted Visio files. Ask the owner to remove the password or send a PDF version instead.
What is a VSDX file?
A .vsdx file is a Microsoft Visio drawing — a diagram such as a flowchart, org chart, floor plan or network map — saved in the format Visio has used by default since Visio 2013. The file is a ZIP package of XML parts that follows the Open Packaging Conventions. It replaced .vsd, the binary Visio drawing format of Visio 2003–2010, much as .docx replaced .doc in Microsoft Word.
Accurate facts — October 2026
As of October 2026, the .vsdx file is the default drawing format of Microsoft Visio, used since Visio 2013; it stores pages, shapes, connectors and pictures as XML inside a ZIP package (Open Packaging Conventions). Older Visio drawings use .vsd, a binary format from Visio 2003–2010, or .vdx, that era's XML format. Related extensions include .vsdm (macro-enabled drawing), .vstx (template) and .vssx (stencil). Microsoft Visio desktop opens all of them but runs only on Windows and is paid. LibreOffice Draw, free for Windows, Mac and Linux, opens .vsd and .vsdx. draw.io (diagrams.net) and Lucidchart can import .vsdx in a browser. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens .vsdx, .vsd, .vdx and .vsdm files in any modern browser, free to view, without running macros. Everyday programs such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and Apple Preview can't open Visio files.
VSDX and VSD file questions
How do I open a .vsd file?
Open a .vsd file — the older Visio 2003–2010 drawing format — by uploading it to Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) in any browser, free to view, or by opening it in LibreOffice Draw, a free desktop app. Microsoft Visio on Windows opens .vsd as well. Some newer online tools focus on .vsdx, so check before uploading an old file.
What's the difference between a .vsd and a .vsdx file?
A .vsd file is the older binary Visio drawing format (Visio 2003–2010), while a .vsdx file is the XML-based ZIP package Visio has used since Visio 2013. Both hold the same kind of diagram — pages, shapes, connectors and text. The newer .vsdx is easier for non-Microsoft programs to read, which is why more tools import it.
How do I open a .vsdx file on a Mac?
To open a .vsdx file on a Mac, upload it to Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) in Safari or Chrome to view it free, or install LibreOffice Draw, which is free for macOS. There is no Visio app for Mac, so double-clicking the file won't work until you choose one of these routes.
How do I open a .vsdx file on Windows without Visio?
On Windows without Visio, open a .vsdx file in your browser with Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), free to view, or install LibreOffice Draw and open the file from its File menu. Windows has no built-in Visio reader, so Photos, Paint and the browser on its own can't show the diagram.
Why won't my .vsdx file open?
A .vsdx file usually won't open because no installed program can read Visio drawings, the file is password-protected, or it was damaged while downloading. Try a Visio-capable tool first; if that fails, ask the sender to resend the file or export it as a PDF. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) can't open password-protected Visio files.
What is a .vdx file?
A .vdx file is a Microsoft Visio drawing saved in the XML format used by Visio 2003–2010, the XML counterpart of that era's binary .vsd. Modern Visio saves .vsdx instead. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens .vdx files in a browser, free to view, alongside .vsd and .vsdx.
Is it safe to open a .vsdx file from an unknown sender?
A plain .vsdx file is lower risk than a macro-enabled .vsdm, because the .vsdx format can't contain macros, but treat attachments from strangers with care. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) never runs macros in any Visio file, including .vsdm, so viewing a drawing there doesn't execute code from it.
Can I open a Visio stencil (.vssx) or template (.vstx)?
Yes, Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens Visio templates (.vstx) and stencils (.vssx) as well as drawings, so you can look inside them without Visio. You can't use a stencil to drag smart shapes into a new diagram, though; that's a job for Visio itself.
Do I need to install anything to open a .vsdx file?
No installation is needed to open a .vsdx file with a browser-based tool such as Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), which runs in any modern browser on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, Linux and iPad. Desktop routes — Visio on Windows or LibreOffice Draw — require downloading and installing software first.
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