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Will Microsoft Publisher Continue Working After Retirement?
Question details
Users want to know if they can still use Microsoft Publisher and access their files after the software reaches its scheduled end-of-life.
- Product
- Microsoft Publisher
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Planning for document accessibility and software usage following the announced retirement of Microsoft Publisher in 2026.
- Observed behavior
- Microsoft announced that Publisher will be retired after October 2026, meaning it will no longer receive security updates, new features, or technical support.
Gather all your important .pub files into a dedicated folder so you can systematically export or migrate them before support officially ends.
How Publisher Retirement Affects You and How to Prepare
While the application won't be deleted automatically, you need to take action to ensure your documents remain accessible, especially if you are a Microsoft 365 subscriber.
Microsoft has scheduled the retirement of Publisher for October 2026. Once this date passes, the software will not receive any security patches or bug fixes. While standalone perpetual license versions will keep functioning, Microsoft 365 subscribers may eventually lose the ability to open or edit Publisher files altogether.
To prevent data loss, you should actively migrate your existing designs to more universally supported formats.
If you own a standalone, non-subscription version of Office that includes Publisher, the application will remain on your hard drive and continue to run locally. However, you should avoid opening untrusted files due to the lack of future security updates.
Open Microsoft Publisher, go to the 'File' menu, select 'Export', and click on 'Create PDF/XPS Document'. This ensures your layout and graphics are preserved in a format that can be viewed on any device long after 2026.
For documents you need to edit in the future, open your .pub file, copy the text and graphical elements, and paste them into a blank document in Microsoft Word or WPS Writer. Save the new document in standard .docx format.
Future-Proof Your Documents with WPS Office
With Microsoft Publisher retiring, it is the perfect time to switch to a reliable, long-term document creation suite. WPS Office offers powerful word processing, presentation, and spreadsheet tools to design flyers, brochures, and reports without worrying about sudden software retirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
When exactly will Microsoft Publisher be retired?
Microsoft has officially scheduled Publisher's retirement for after October 2026. Beyond this point, no further updates or support will be provided.
Will Microsoft automatically uninstall Publisher from my computer?
No, Microsoft will not automatically delete the application from your local hard drive. It will generally continue to run on your system, but it will do so as an unsupported application without security patches.
Can I still edit my .pub files after October 2026?
If you have a perpetual license (like Office 2021), you can still use the installed app to edit files. However, Microsoft 365 subscribers might eventually lose the ability to edit or even open .pub files, which is why exporting them is highly recommended.
What is the best alternative to Microsoft Publisher?
Many users migrate their layout tasks to standard word processors with strong formatting features, such as Microsoft Word or WPS Writer. For more complex desktop publishing, specialized design software like Adobe InDesign or Affinity Publisher are popular alternatives.
