Microsoft 365
Keep the files useful after Publisher goes
A brochure that only one person knows how to update can become a business problem when the application disappears. Microsoft Publisher retirement is approaching in October 2026. If your Sydney business still uses .pub files for newsletters, forms or printed material, preserve usable copies before the change.
Microsoft says Microsoft 365 subscribers cannot access Publisher after 1 October 2026. Support for perpetual editions ends on 13 October 2026, although those editions can still be installed and used. Complete conversion before 1 October rather than relying on access during the changeover. Microsoft's retirement notice explains the distinction.
Start with the files your team will need to edit next month. A PDF may preserve something readable, but it does not replace a working template. Milnsbridge Microsoft 365 management covers licensing, administration and user support. Use that discussion to identify application dependencies and agree the work your business needs.
File discovery
Find the work that still depends on Publisher
Ask the people who prepare your printed material which files they reuse. Then search for .pub files on authorised computers, shared drives, OneDrive and SharePoint. A search of your own laptop will miss another employee's folders. Record areas you could not inspect so they do not look completed.
Active templates
Prioritise files needed for the next print run or regular customer communication. Record who changes them and when the next version is due. A recently opened file is worth checking, but an annual template can matter just as much.
Older business records
Separate files kept as evidence from material that must stay editable. Preserve relevant originals under your existing retention rules. Retirement of an application is not permission to delete business records.
Supporting assets
Check whether the publication needs separate images, fonts or linked data. Record any missing dependencies during the trial conversion. Keep assets in an approved location with the file rather than leaving the next editor to hunt for them.
People and permissions
Give each publication a business owner and name a second person who can use the replacement. Confirm both can reach the approved folder. Avoid moving company documents into a personal account just to finish an export.
Treat duplicate filenames carefully. Compare the content with the owner before choosing the current version. A file labelled final may be older than a copy saved elsewhere. Record the chosen source path so the export can be traced back.
Choose an outcome
A readable copy and an editable template do different jobs
PDF for viewing and printing
Open the original in a working, licensed copy of Publisher. Choose File > Save as, select a destination and choose PDF. Save the PDF beside a preserved copy of the original, using a clear filename. Open it and check every page before marking it complete.
A replacement for future edits
Microsoft describes opening the exported PDF in Word and accepting the conversion prompt. The result is optimised for text editing, and layouts can change, especially with graphics. Test it on a copy. For a complex publication, rebuilding the template may be more reliable than repairing a poor conversion.
Choose the replacement around the work. Word may suit letters or text-heavy newsletters. PowerPoint can suit some posters and visual layouts. These are Microsoft's suggested starting points, not a guarantee that either application will reproduce a particular Publisher design. Confirm the user has the required application rights before switching.
Do not upload confidential publications to an unknown online converter. Check how any proposed service handles uploaded files and obtain business approval first. Microsoft states that third-party conversion services vary in quality and are not supported by Microsoft.
Conversion checks
Test a real publication before converting the rest
Choose a file that includes the awkward parts of your normal work, such as a folded layout or several images. Keep the original unchanged. Export a PDF, try the proposed editing route, and ask the person who normally uses the file to check the result.
Check the whole layout
Compare page count, margins and page order with the original. Inspect text boxes for missing lines or overflow. Look at image placement and fonts at a readable zoom level rather than relying on the thumbnail preview.
Run the next normal edit
Ask the owner to change a date, replace a photograph or update a paragraph. Save the replacement and reopen it. A converted document that looks right but cannot survive the next edit is not a finished template.
Check the printed result
Print a sample if the publication is used on paper. Check folds, label alignment and page size. If an external printer produces the material, ask them to confirm the exported file meets the requirements for that job.
Record approval and exceptions
Keep the owner's sign-off with the new file location. List anything still requiring repair. If the conversion is unsuitable, assign a rebuild or alternative approach and a due date before removing access to the old workflow.
For a large file collection, Microsoft provides an example PowerShell export script. It requires working, licensed Publisher and is supplied for adaptation and testing. Have IT review it against copies first, capture failed exports and reconcile the results with the inventory. A completed batch is not proof that every document converted.
Retirement facts
Dates and limits to keep in the transition plan
1 October 2026
Microsoft says subscription users cannot access Publisher after this date. Finish file preparation before 1 October. Source - Microsoft Support retirement notice.
13 October 2026
Support ends for perpetual Publisher. Microsoft says those editions can still be used, but continued operation does not restore support. Source - Microsoft Support retirement notice.
PDF is a viewing copy
Microsoft recommends PDF to view content after retirement. Preserve the source as well and test output before relying on it. Source - Microsoft Support retirement notice.
Word layouts can change
Microsoft warns that conversion is optimised for text editing and may change layouts, particularly graphics-heavy documents. Source - Microsoft Support retirement notice.
Working checklist
Track your Publisher files through to sign-off
Download the editable Excel tracker and use one row per publication. It includes status dropdowns, filters and a field guide, so your team can record progress without building a worksheet first.
Download the Publisher file-preservation tracker
Excel workbook (.xlsx). No macros or email sign-up.
- Identify each file, its business owner and next-use date.
- Keep the original and record where the viewing copy and editable replacement are saved.
- Check the layout, any required print output, the next edit and access by another authorised user.
- Assign outstanding issues and due dates, then record the owner's approval.
Mark a file complete only after the owner can open the preserved copy and perform the next required task. Keep exceptions open until they are resolved. If your team already uses a task system, use the same checklist there.
Save your working tracker in an access-controlled business location. Filenames and paths may reveal sensitive work. Your IT support team can help with technical dependencies; the business owner approves the document itself.
Document continuity
Backup preserves data, not an application licence
Keep originals and approved replacements in protected business storage. Milnsbridge offers Cove Microsoft 365 Backup as a separately scoped add-on for Microsoft 365 data. Confirm the relevant locations are covered. Files left only on a local desktop need their own protection arrangements.
A backup of a .pub file does not provide a supported application to edit it. Likewise, a converted copy that has never been checked can leave you with unusable output. Preservation and a tested replacement workflow are separate tasks.
This is a document transition, not necessarily a tenant or email migration. If a broader move is also planned, the Microsoft 365 migration guide covers that wider project. Keep Publisher files as a named work item so they are not lost inside the general migration checklist.
Common questions
Publisher retirement questions
Will my Publisher files be deleted in October?
Microsoft's notice describes loss of application access for subscription users, not automatic deletion of .pub files. Preserve the originals and create usable copies before 1 October 2026. Having the file is different from having an application that can open it.
Can I keep using a perpetual copy of Publisher?
Microsoft says perpetual editions can still be installed and used after support ends on 13 October 2026. That does not make them supported. Plan a replacement rather than relying on an unsupported application for ongoing business work.
Will converting to Word preserve every layout?
No. Microsoft says the converted Word document is optimised for text editing and its layout may differ, especially where graphics are involved. Check representative files and allow time to rebuild templates that do not convert cleanly.
Does Microsoft 365 backup solve Publisher retirement?
No. Backup can protect copies of files in covered locations, but it does not provide Publisher access or convert the documents. Microsoft Publisher retirement needs a tested viewing or editing route as well as data protection.
Explore more
Related Microsoft 365 and IT support guides
Microsoft 365 management
Review licensing and everyday administration with Microsoft 365 support.
Microsoft 365 backup
Check the scope of independent data protection with Cove Microsoft 365 Backup.
Migration planning
Understand the broader move in our Microsoft 365 migration guide.
Ongoing IT support
Discuss ownership of application changes through Milnsbridge IT support.
Plan the transition
Check your Microsoft 365 dependencies before October
Ask Milnsbridge to review your Microsoft 365 setup and discuss the support needed for the change. Agree conversion or template-rebuilding requirements separately. Our published support metrics are a 20-second average answer time and 87% first-call resolution, with phone answering measured during business hours. These are support metrics, not promises about document-conversion outcomes.
Read how we measure support performance.
Talk to a SpecialistSource checked 17 September 2026. Microsoft Publisher retirement and conversion guidance.
About the Author
Adrian Weir
Adrian Weir is the Managing Director and founder of Milnsbridge Managed IT Services, with over 30 years of global IT experience spanning Telstra, Citibank, Unilever, and hundreds of Sydney SMBs. A Microsoft Partner since 2002, Adrian leads a team of IT specialists delivering responsive, business-focused managed IT support across Greater Sydney.
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