If the files are stored online, you can open and view them from any device, including iPhone or iPad. To view files offline, just download the Visio Viewer web app. Download Visio Viewer to see diagrams made in Visio for Desktop Use Visio Viewer to view or print files. View online files: VSD is a file format used by Visio software. Visio is a flowchart software. It can be used to make flowcharts, mind maps, organizational charts, Gantt charts, layout diagrams, circuit diagrams, network topology diagrams, UML diagrams, SDL diagrams, IDEF diagrams, interior design diagrams and so.
Occasionally, I have the need to open a Visio diagram but don't have a need to create or modify them. So, the Visio viewer seemed to be an ideal option. However, after installing the viewer (I tried this with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions), I was still unable to open a Visio file.
The best I could get was Windows asking what I would like to use to open the file and Visio viewer wasn't an option. After drilling down to find the executable file, I found the viewer (VPREVIEW.EXE) would display a message saying 'This program can only run from within another program” when I tried to execute it. I discovered the Visio viewer is designed to use ActiveX controls within Internet Explorer. Since I had disabled IE 11 on my system (using the 'Turn Windows features on or off'), the viewer had nowhere to execute since Edge doesn't support ActiveX.
I found a Chrome plug-in in the Chrome web store that will allow me to view Visio files from inside Chrome. However, it requires me to click on a tag in the Chrome header and then drag the Visio file into the Chrome window.
So, the alternatives appear to be to enable IE 11 or use a Chrome plug-in.