Forum Discussion
Once Publisher disappears...help please.
Hi all,
So I see that by late 2026 Microsoft is getting rid of Publisher which means ( as I understand it ) any/all of my PUB files on the pc will no longer be able to be opened/used.
I know I can convert my PUB docs to PDF but how do I do the following.
I have a number of PUB docs that have multiple photos on each page. These pages are used for a notebook that I change annually. Some photos stay and some are replaced. Dead easy to do using PUB but what happens when PUB goes.
I can open the changed file ( from PUB to PDF ) but it doesnt allow me to change individual images..its all or nothing.
I can work out how to open a PDF in WORD but the same thing is happening..its either every picture or nothing ??
SO..my Q is..once PUB goes what can I use to keep editing these pages. HOpe someone can help me.
Thank you
Which version of Office do you have today? If you have a perpetual (non-subscription) license which includes Publisher, such as Office Professional 2021, you will be able to use Publisher beyond 2026.
Compatibility will likely be an issue over the following years. Converting *.pub to other formats isn't going to be an easy task, or at least it will be a time-consuming task, as you already know. I recommend that you send feedback to Microsoft, using the portal at https://feedbackportal.microsoft.com/feedback.
I am running M365.
It appears the only way to do what i want to do is open each PUB doc and copy/paste everythng onto a WORD doc.
At least I have 15mn to get it all sorted
I am running M365.
It appears the only way to do what i want to do is open each PUB doc and copy/paste everythng onto a WORD doc.
At least I have 15mn to get it all sorted
Since you have a subscription, you will lose Publisher some time after October 2026. An updated version in the fall will remove that program.
At the moment, Microsoft seems to offer nothing more than copy & paste into Word documents, and that will be very time-consuming of course. I made a brief test with one of the open source alternatives, and while it can open Publisher files, it doesn't appear to handle linked text boxes, for example.
1. Check if your Microsoft 365 subscription includes Publisher
Supported subscription plans:
Microsoft 365 Business Standard / Premium
Office 2019 / 2021 Professional Plus
Independently purchased Publisher 2021 / 2019
Unsupported subscriptions:
Microsoft 365 Home / Personal
Office Online
How to confirm this:
Visit the Microsoft Account Services page → View subscription details.
2. Reinstall Publisher
Added via Office installer (administrator permissions required):
Open the control panel > Applications and Features.
Find the Microsoft 365 app → Click "Change."
Select Add or Remove Features → Expand Office Tools.
Check Publisher → Click "Continue" to complete the installation.
Using the Office Deployment Tool (ODT):
For enterprise administrators, Publisher can be forced to install through a configuration file.
3. Repair Office installation
Quick fixes:
Open Settings > Applications > Installed Applications → Find Microsoft 365 → Select "Repair."
Online repair:
Select "Online Repair" in the Office installation options
4. Check group policy or registry limits (Enterprise users)
Group strategy:
Administrators may restrict installation through the "Disable Publisher" policy, check:
Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Microsoft Office 2016 / 365 > Features > Disable Publisher
Registry (operate with caution):
Make sure the following key values are not set to disable:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\16.0\Publisher\Disable
5. Other attempts
Download Publisher Standalone Edition manually:
If the subscription is not supported, consider purchasing the Publisher 2021 / 2019 standalone edition
Contact an IT administrator or Microsoft Support:
In an enterprise environment, administrators may be required to adjust licenses or deployment policies.Im not going to lie...I read and re-read your reply .. and thank you for it..but I haven't got a clue what to do with it..sorry.
Im far too old and haven't got anthing like the technical savvy to do this
The first part checks if it is installed:
1. Open the Windows Start Menu
2. Search for “Publisher”
3. If you find it → Right-click and fix it to the start menu/taskbar
4. If you can't find it → continue to the next step
Part II Reinstalling Publisher
1. Install through Office:
2. Open Control Panel > Programs and Features
3. Locate Microsoft 365 or Office and click “Change”.
4. Select “Add or Remove Features”.
5. Check Publisher and complete the installation.
Part 3 Check if the subscription includes Publisher
1. Subscriptions that include Publisher:
2.Microsoft 365 Business Edition
3.Office Professional Plus
4. Subscriptions without Publisher:
Microsoft 365 Home/Personal
Part IV Quick Fixes for Office
1. Open Settings > Apps > Apps & Features
2. Find Microsoft Office and click “Repair”.
Part 5 Other things to try
1. Update Windows: Make sure your system is up to date.
2. Restart your computer: simple but may work
3If you still can't find Publisher, your version of Office may not contain the program, we recommend contacting your IT administrator or upgrading your subscription.
You can try the above five methods if you can not solve the problem, please contact IT!
