Publisher won't open? Here's what to do.
A plain guide for church secretaries, teachers, and anyone with a folder full of .pub files. Most of this is free.
The dates
2026
If you paid for Microsoft 365, you lost access to Publisher on October 1, 2026.
2026
If you bought Publisher 2021 (or Office 2021) outright, it keeps running, but support ends October 13, 2026.
Microsoft hasn't announced an extension.
Hundreds of files and no time to read all this?
Send us the folder. We turn every file into a searchable PDF, sorted by year. Free file check, no obligation, and we reply within one business day.
Get a free file checkFirst: find out which one you have
Open Publisher and go to File, then Account. If it says "Microsoft 365," Publisher has already stopped opening on that computer. If it says "Office 2021," "2019," or "2016," it will keep opening your files for now, but that one computer may be the only thing with Publisher itself on it.
If Publisher still opens on your computer: save everything as PDF now
This is the single most useful thing you can do this week.
- Open a file in Publisher.
- Go to File, then Export (or Save As), and choose PDF.
- Save it next to the original, with the same name.
Have hundreds of files? Microsoft publishes a free script that converts a whole folder at once. It needs Publisher installed and working on that computer, so it no longer helps Microsoft 365 users. Search Microsoft Support for "Convert-PubFileToPDF" to find it.
If Publisher is already gone
Your .pub files are still there. You need something else to open them.
- LibreOffice (free). Install LibreOffice, then open a .pub file with LibreOffice Draw. It reads most Publisher files. From there, choose File, then Export as PDF. Newsletters where one story flows across several boxes sometimes come out jumbled.
- Affinity (free). Canva's free design app opens Publisher 97 and later, one file at a time through File, then Open. Text, shapes, images and solid fills come in, but tables become plain text, bulleted and numbered lists and hyperlinks are dropped, gradients and multi-column text are simplified, and it can't export back to .pub.
- Free online converters. Several websites turn one .pub file into a PDF for free. Be careful with anything that includes names, addresses, or prayer requests: you're uploading it to a stranger's server.
- A colleague with an older Office. Someone with Publisher 2021, 2019, or 2016 can open your files and save them as PDF for you.
What about files you still edit every week?
A PDF is great for keeping and printing, but it's hard to edit. For your weekly bulletin or monthly newsletter, you'll want a new home. For most church offices and schools, that's Canva:
- Free for many churches and nonprofits through Canva for Nonprofits (you apply, and it can take a few days).
- Free for K-12 teachers and schools through Canva Education.
- Full of bulletin and newsletter layouts to start from.
Word works too, but it's harder to move pictures and boxes around the page.
Ready to move your weekly bulletin? Our step-by-step Canva guide covers the folded booklet, fonts and printing. Want to keep the old ones in order? See what a good bulletin archive looks like.
If you have hundreds of files and no time
That's what we do. Send us the folder. We turn every file into a searchable PDF, remove the duplicates, sort everything by year and type, and rebuild the templates you still use in Canva. Fixed prices, all under $500, and you pay after delivery.
Not sure how many you have? Count your Publisher files free. It runs in your browser, and nothing is uploaded.
Get a free file checkOr call or leave a message: (207) 776-7530