Publisher Is Gone from Microsoft 365. Office 2021 Support Ends October 13. What to Do with Your .pub Files.

Church bulletins, school newsletters, certificates, and small-business flyers still live as .pub on shared drives. Those legacy files only opened cleanly in Publisher. The Microsoft 365 door is already closed. The perpetual-support cliff is days away. This post is the action plan — inventory, triage, PDF-first — not a countdown rewrite of the August explainer.

What already happened — and what is next

Microsoft announced Publisher end of life in February 2024. The two dates that matter for archives are on Microsoft Support:

• Microsoft 365: Publisher was removed around October 1, 2026. Subscribers can no longer open or edit .pub files in Publisher through that subscription.
• Perpetual Publisher (Office 2021 / Office LTSC 2021): support ends October 13, 2026. The app may still run after that date, but it will not get security updates.
• Microsoft’s recommended action remains: convert existing files to PDF or Word. Official article: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher/microsoft-publisher-will-no-longer-be-supported-after-october-2026

Find every .pub before you convert

Microsoft’s FAQ says a file search for “.Pub” on your PC, OneDrive, or SharePoint can help you locate Publisher files. Do not stop at your desktop profile.

• This PC — Windows search for `.pub` (or `*.pub`) across local drives and mapped network shares you actually use.
• OneDrive — search the web or sync client for `.pub`; check personal and work accounts separately.
• SharePoint / Teams — search site libraries where bulletins and flyers were uploaded years ago.
• Shared church, school, and SMB drives — walk folders still labeled “Publications,” “Bulletins,” or “Marketing.”

Triage by Publisher version

Not every .pub is the same conversion problem. Sort what you found into clear buckets:

• Publisher 98–2010 — older layout files. This is the range Legacy File Converter converts locally on Windows without Publisher.
• Publisher 2013–2021 (and Microsoft 365-era .pub) — open these in a still-installed perpetual Publisher (Office 2021 / LTSC if you have it) and Save As PDF. Do not expect Legacy File Converter to convert those newer formats.
• Still opens in Publisher today — anything you can open cleanly in a licensed perpetual install. Export those to PDF from Publisher while the app still works for you.

PDF-first workflow

Microsoft says convert to PDF or Word. For bulletins, flyers, and certificates, PDF is the preservation format that keeps the page looking like a page. Use Word only when you need to revise wording — Microsoft notes Word output is optimized for editing and layout may shift, especially with lots of graphics.

• PDF first — frozen layout for sharing, printing, and long-term storage. See also Why PDF for Long-Term Preservation.
• Word second — only when editing is required; expect layout drift.
• Keep the original .pub beside each PDF until you are sure you no longer need the source.

For Publisher 2013–2021: Save As PDF from perpetual Publisher

If Microsoft 365 no longer gives you Publisher, look for a perpetual install that still includes it — typically Office 2021 or Office LTSC 2021 on a machine that kept the desktop apps. Open each newer .pub, then File → Save As → PDF (or Export to PDF). Finish that pile before October 13, 2026 support ends for those perpetual products.

Microsoft also publishes a sample PowerShell conversion script for bulk PDF export. That script requires a working, licensed Publisher install on the computer — it drives Publisher; it is not a standalone converter. Legacy File Converter does not replace that script for 2013–2021 files.

For Publisher 98–2010: convert locally with Legacy File Converter

Legacy File Converter runs on Windows 10/11 as a desktop app. Conversion is 100% local — no cloud upload. For the older 98–2010 pile you inventoried above, batch-convert to PDF (and other modern outputs the product already offers) without installing Publisher.

Quick myth check: October 13 is not the Windows 10 end date

October 13, 2026 is the Office 2021 / Office LTSC 2021 support cliff — including perpetual Publisher. It is not the end of Windows 10 consumer security updates. Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU) for consumers run through October 12, 2027. Keep those calendars separate when you plan archive work.

Action checklist

• Search PC, OneDrive, and SharePoint for “.Pub” (plus shared drives).
• Build one inventory list or folder — do not convert from scattered hits alone.
• Triage: 98–2010 vs 2013–2021 / Microsoft 365-era .pub.
• Export 2013–2021 from perpetual Publisher with Save As PDF before October 13.
• Convert 98–2010 locally with Legacy File Converter (PDF-first).
• Keep each original .pub next to its PDF.
• Skip random online converters for church, school, and SMB archives.
• Re-read the August ending post if you need the full background.