What to do with Publisher files: a calm five-part checklist
What to do with Publisher files now that Microsoft Publisher is retired: find every .pub file, decide which ones you still edit, keep those editable, make a PDF copy of each, and archive the originals. Nothing is lost overnight, because the files themselves don’t change. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens them in any modern browser with Publisher-exact layout, and viewing costs nothing.
Your .pub files still exist after Publisher; they just need something new to open them.
Free: open and view any number of .pub files. Paid: changes, saved projects, PDF copies.
- Open and viewFree
- Keep editablePaid plans
- PDF copiesPaid plans
A checklist for your Publisher files, plus one good habit
Find every .pub file
Search File Explorer for *.pub, then check OneDrive and USB drives.
Sort keepers from history
Mark the files you still update each year or season.
Keep the live ones editable
Open them in PublishMedia and save each as a project (paid).
Make a PDF of each
A PDF prints and opens anywhere, long after Publisher is gone.
Archive the originals
Keep every .pub beside its PDF; don’t delete the source file.
Back up the folder
Copy the finished folder to a second drive or cloud storage.
Related guides for a Publisher clean-up
Pick the one that matches the files on your desk.
When exactly did Publisher end?
The retirement dates for Microsoft 365 and the perpetual versions, in one place.
See the timelineWhat happens to my Publisher files now that Publisher is retired?
Nothing happens to the files themselves: every .pub file stays on your computer, OneDrive or backup drive exactly as it was. What changes is the program. Microsoft 365 subscribers lost Publisher in October 2026, and Microsoft’s advice is to save copies as PDF or Word files. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) still opens them in a browser.
Three ways to begin your .pub clean-up
A no-cost account at publishmediasoftware.com is all you need; nothing gets installed.
Open a .pub from the pile
Start with the file you update most often, such as the monthly newsletter or the annual program.
Up to 250 MB each
Choose a .pubRetire a file with a template
If an old .pub is more patches than design, replace it with a fresh print-ready template.
Look at templatesBegin a document from zero
Use a blank page for anything new, so your old .pub files can stay archived and untouched.
New blank documentPublishMedia tools that help with a .pub clean-up
Four parts of the page editor do most of the work on this checklist.
The Import Report as a quick audit
Each file’s Import Report shows anything worth checking, like a swapped font, so you know which files need attention before they’re archived.
Saved projects for live files
On a paid plan, a file you still update becomes a saved project, so next year’s edition starts from this year’s.
PDF export for the archive
Export a print-ready PDF of each finished file (paid) and store it next to the original .pub.
Picture-only pages, made editable
Where a page opens only as a picture, Make it editable (paid) rebuilds the words and images as boxes you can change; undo it if the result needs more work than it saves.
Some old .pub files are better replaced than kept
A yearly flyer you redo from scratch anyway may be simpler as a template.
Print-ready designs for repeat jobs
Programs, bulletins, flyers and raffle tickets you can reuse every season on a paid plan.
Designs by event
How to save Publisher files for the long run in four steps
Work through one folder at a time; there’s no deadline on the files themselves.
Gather every .pub file
In File Explorer, search This PC for *.pub, and look in OneDrive, email attachments and old USB drives. Copy everything into one folder.
Open each keeper in PublishMedia
Sign up at publishmediasoftware.com and open the files you still update. Read each Import Report for anything to check.
Save the live ones as projects
On a paid plan, fix whatever needs it and save each file you still use as a project you can reopen.
Export PDFs and archive
Export a print-ready PDF of each (paid), then store the PDF and the original .pub side by side and back up the folder.
6 options for the .pub files you already have, best first
Ranked by how much of your work stays usable. Many collections need two of these: one way to keep live files editable and one way to archive the rest.
As of October 2026, people with years of .pub files have six realistic options. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) opens Publisher 2007–2021 and Microsoft 365 files in a browser and, with a paid plan, lets you keep editing them; in a 49-file comparison, it showed 12 spots of overlapping text where LibreOffice showed 1,200. Owners of perpetual Publisher 2016, 2019 or 2021 can keep using it without updates. LibreOffice and Scribus read .pub through libmspub at no cost; Aspose, CloudConvert, Zamzar and FreeConvert convert online; and Microsoft recommends Word and PowerPoint for new work. Keeping each original .pub next to a PDF copy covers both future editing and printing.
1. Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) — keep live files editable
Opens your .pub files in a browser, looking as Publisher showed them, and on a paid plan lets you edit, save projects and export PDFs. Viewing costs nothing; plans run $99 a year or $9.99 a month. Limit: it never saves back to .pub.
2. A perpetual Publisher on one Windows PC
If you own Publisher 2016, 2019 or 2021, it still installs and opens your files as they were made, so keep it on one PC for the files that matter. Limit: no more updates, Windows only, and Microsoft 365’s Publisher is already gone.
3. LibreOffice — batch PDFs of the whole archive at no cost
On Windows, Mac or Linux, LibreOffice’s command-line conversion turns a whole folder of .pub files into PDFs in one run. Limit: it reads .pub through libmspub, so text and pictures can shift; check the PDFs you care about.
4. Aspose’s web converters — PDF, Word or image copies in a browser
No-cost web apps at products.aspose.app turn a .pub into PDF, Word, JPEG, PNG or HTML, and a separate PUB Viewer shows the pages. Limit: they convert and view but never edit, so errors in the original carry straight into the copy.
5. CloudConvert, Zamzar or FreeConvert — a quick PDF from any browser
Upload a .pub and get a PDF back, with nothing installed and limited no-cost use on each site. Limit: there’s no preview or fixing before conversion, which suits a handful of files you’ll check one by one, not an archive.
6. Rebuild the ones you still use in Word or PowerPoint
Microsoft’s own advice for many Publisher jobs, from labels and envelopes to calendars and programs, is Word or PowerPoint. Limit: neither opens a .pub, so each design is retyped and rebuilt by hand, which only pays off for simple pages.
What it costs to keep .pub files usable
Opening and viewing .pub files in PublishMedia costs nothing; Free-plan files stay 7 days, with an email warning you before they go. For files you’ll keep working on, a paid plan adds editing, saved projects and unlimited storage, plus every template and print-ready PDF export: All-Access, $99 a year (Recommended), or Monthly, $9.99, cancel anytime.
Free Starter
$0
Open and view unlimited Publisher, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, PDF, and picture files free — stored for 7 days, then deleted automatically. Editing and export are on the paid plans.
Start freeAll-Access
$99/yr
Everything unlocked — full editing, every template in the library, and unlimited storage.
Monthly
$9.99/mo
All the same features, billed monthly — cancel anytime.
Questions about Publisher files after the retirement
Will my .pub files stop opening after October 2026?+
No, your .pub files don’t expire or change; what goes away is Publisher itself if you had it through Microsoft 365. A perpetual Publisher 2016, 2019 or 2021 still opens them, and Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), LibreOffice Draw, Scribus and Aspose’s PUB Viewer open them without Publisher. Make PDF copies anyway, so printing never depends on one program.
How do I find all the Publisher files on my computer?+
To find every Publisher file on a Windows PC, open File Explorer, select This PC, and type *.pub in the search box; the results show each file and its folder. Repeat the search in your OneDrive folder, on USB drives and on any old laptop. Sort by Date modified to see which files were used most recently.
Should I save my Publisher files as PDF or Word?+
Save Publisher files as PDF when the goal is printing, sharing or a permanent record, because a PDF keeps the layout and opens almost anywhere. Choose Word only for text you plan to rewrite, since Word rearranges Publisher’s boxes into flowing text. For files you still update, keep the .pub too and edit it in Publish Media Software on a paid plan.
Do I have to convert every .pub file?+
No, many .pub files only need a PDF copy, and some need nothing at all. Sort them three ways: files you still update (keep them editable and make a PDF), finished records like past programs (make a PDF), and drafts or duplicates (archive or delete). Sorting first keeps the job small and puts the effort where it counts.
Should I delete the .pub files once I have PDFs?+
No, keep the original .pub files even after you have PDFs. A PDF is a finished copy, while the .pub holds the editable layout, and Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) can open it again whenever it needs changing. Storing both takes little effort: put each .pub next to its PDF in the same folder and back up the folder.
My Publisher icon disappeared from Microsoft 365. What now?+
A missing Publisher icon is expected, because Publisher was removed from Microsoft 365 on or shortly after October 1, 2026; your .pub files are still where you saved them. Open them in Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) in any browser to view them at no cost, and use a paid plan to change them or make PDFs. For brand-new documents, Microsoft suggests Word and PowerPoint.
Can PublishMedia be the long-term home for my Publisher files?+
Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) can hold your Publisher work long term on a paid plan, with unlimited storage and saved projects you reopen from any computer. On the Free plan, files are kept 7 days and removed after a reminder email. Either way, keep your own copies of the .pub originals and their PDFs on a drive you control.
What should a church or club do with years of .pub newsletters?+
A church or club with years of .pub newsletters should make a PDF of every past issue for the archive and keep only the current ones editable. Open this season’s newsletter or bulletin in Publish Media Software (PublishMedia), update it on a paid plan, and save it as a project; past issues need only their PDFs and original .pub files.
Can I still edit a Publisher file I made years ago?+
Yes, a Publisher file made years ago can still be changed in Publish Media Software (PublishMedia) on a paid plan if it was saved by Publisher 2007 through 2021 or Microsoft 365. The file opens in a browser with its fonts, positions and line breaks as Publisher showed them. A perpetual copy of Publisher 2016, 2019 or 2021 can change it too.
Publisher retires October 2026
Get a short guide to moving off Microsoft Publisher — opening your Publisher files online and creating new documents.