I have been trying to troubleshoot an error I get when I try to install either one of our two copies of Visio 2013 Professional on a Windows 8 machine that has Office 2010 installed.

I get the following error when I try to install Visio 2013 Pro "We found a problem. There is a pre-release or Beta version of an Office product on your computer. Please uninstall any pre-release Office software using the Programs and Features item in your Control Panel and try installing again."

I tried all the steps listed at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/2739501/en-us including the Fix it tool and manual install but I'm not finding any pre-release products that they are talking about.

I tried to install it on a different computer that has office 2010 and it started that install just fine but I can't get it on the two computers here at work that it is supposed to be installed on.

I'm hoping somebody here has another idea to solve my issue.

• Edited by T3dus Friday, February 21, 2014 9:28 PM

Hi,

Thank you for posting the question. I understand how hard it is when the program does not get installed as expected.

This error message will occur if there are any beta version of Office or its traces present in the computer. Please try creating a new Windows User account with local administrator permission and run Microsoft Fix it tool again. Lets see the result. Refer the following link for more information: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-IN/windows7/Create-a-user-account

(Note: Save the Fix it tool and then use it. Clicking "Run" directly won't work. Even if you think you don't have Microsoft Office installed, run it anyways.). Right click it and choose Run as administrator is also proposed.

Since the problem would not happen in another computer, the worst choice to repair Windows 8 or reload OS to solve it.

Tony Chen
TechNet Community Support

• Marked as answer by Tony Chen CHNMicrosoft contingent staff, Moderator Sunday, March 09, 2014 5:05 PM

This problem actually happened on three machines that I tested.

All of the three machines were Dell machines. I felt the problem might be related to the fact that Dell always puts a preinstalled trial of Office on all computers they sell but the fix it tools failed to solve the problem.

I've contacted Dell about this issue and they didn't have any suggestions for me other than the steps I already tried.

I really hate to have to pay Microsoft over $200 to get support to fix a problem for software we already bought from them.

The one machine I tested this on and didn't have a problem was a Custom Built machine that I built for my home.