Quick answer: your .pub files still work. The October 2026 deadline only meant you could no longer convert them in Publisher. Open them free in your browser with Free Pub Editor, keep editing, and export a PDF. Nothing is uploaded, and there's no sign-up.
What was the deadline, exactly?
Microsoft's advice was to "convert your existing files to another format before 10/1/2026", because after that Microsoft 365 subscribers would "no longer be able to open or edit these files in Microsoft Publisher" (Microsoft Support). Support for one-off copies ended on 13 October 2026. The dates are set out in our retirement timeline.
Notice what the deadline was about: Publisher, the program. Your files didn't change, expire or get deleted.
How do I open my .pub files now?
- Go to freepubeditor.com/editor in Chrome, Edge, Safari or Firefox, on Windows, Mac, ChromeOS or Linux.
- Click Open and choose a .pub file, or drag it onto the page.
- Check the pages. Edit anything you need: double-click text to change it, or a picture to replace it.
- Click Export PDF and choose Save as PDF (margins None, Background graphics on).
- Click Save to keep an editable .fpe copy for next time.
The file is read by code running in your browser and never leaves your device, which matters for school, church and staff documents.
Which files can be rescued?
| Made in | Opens in Free Pub Editor? |
|---|---|
| Publisher 2002, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, Microsoft 365 | Yes, with layout, editable |
| Publisher 2000 | Text only, set out page by page |
| Publisher 97 and earlier | Not yet |
Not sure which version made a file? Just try it. If it's an older one, LibreOffice Draw is worth trying as a second option.
How well do the files come across?
Layout, text boxes, pictures, shapes, lines, tables, master pages, backgrounds, gradients, borders, rotation and crops all come across, along with fonts, colours, spacing, indents, tab stops, bullets and columns. In our tests so far, on four real-world files (including a 24 MB, 14-page school newsletter and a school calendar), every file opened with its layout, and side by side with LibreOffice's rendering they matched closely.
A few things are known not to come across fully:
- Linked text boxes: text that flowed from one box into the next is gathered into the first box.
- WordArt: keeps its words, not its special effects.
- Recoloured pictures: appear in their original colours.
Our troubleshooting guide explains how to fix each of these.
I have hundreds of files. Where do I start?
Batch conversion isn't available yet, so prioritise:
- Templates you reuse (newsletters, certificates, letterheads): open, check and Save an editable copy.
- Documents you need to keep (programmes, annual reports): export a PDF.
- Everything else: leave the .pub files in a clearly named folder. They'll still open when you need them.
Each file takes about a minute. If you still have a perpetual copy of Publisher on an old PC, Microsoft notes a PowerShell script can bulk-export PDFs from it.
Can I just reinstall Publisher?
Only with a one-off licence. Microsoft's FAQ says perpetual owners "will still be able to install and use the app beyond this date", but subscribers can't download it any more. An unsupported program gets no security fixes, so it's a stopgap rather than a long-term plan. See what Publisher's retirement means for more on your options.