Visio vsd file from 1998 is blocked and not opened

Hi Staffan Westbeck

The error points to a File Block restriction. Since you have already adjusted the settings, I would first check how the Open and Save checkboxes are set: selecting these boxes blocks the corresponding action; clearing them removes that particular block.

Please try these checks with a copy of a drawing you trust:

1/ Go to File > Options > Trust Center > Trust Center Settings > File Block Settings. Check that Open is cleared for “Visio 2003-2010 Binary Drawings, Templates and Stencils,” as this is the category named in your error. The Save checkbox controls saving in that format.

2/ If Open is already cleared, check the “Visio 5.0 or earlier Binary Drawings, Templates and Stencils” category. This may be relevant if the file still uses its original older format. Its creation date alone does not establish the format, particularly if it was subsequently saved in another Visio version. For this test, clear Open for that category, click OK in both windows, and try again.

Microsoft documents these settings in Error when opening a blocked file type in Visio. Please note that this article specifically covers Visio 2013.

If the checkboxes are unavailable, your administrator may have applied a policy. On a company-managed computer, ask IT to review the Visio File Block settings.

Once the drawing opens, keep the original and save a separate copy in a current Visio format. Microsoft’s compatibility guidance, which includes Visio 2024, explains saving or converting older drawings to a newer format. Check the drawing’s appearance after conversion.

If it remains blocked, please share:

• A screenshot of the complete File Block Settings window and the exact error, with personal information hidden.
• Whether you open the .vsd directly in Visio or as an embedded drawing in another Office document.
• Your Visio version and build from File > Account > About Visio.

These details will help narrow down why the restriction is still being applied.

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