Confusion over received email

Question

How do I establish if I have any Microsoft Publisher documents and if I have how to I convert existing Publishing files to PDF or Word format?

Answer 1

Hi, Christine Jones

A Microsoft Publisher file usually ends in .pub, so if the attachment or saved file name ends that way, it’s a Publisher document. There isn’t a standalone Publisher viewer, which is why these files can be confusing when they arrive by email.

Here are some suggestions you can try:

Check your email attachments, Downloads, OneDrive, and Documents for file names ending in .pub. That’s the quickest way to confirm whether you actually have any Publisher files.

If the file still opens in Publisher, try File > Export > Create PDF/XPS Document instead of the usual save route. That can be a cleaner way to make a PDF for sharing or printing.

If you can’t open the file at all, it is suggested that you ask the sender to resend it as a PDF, or send it as a web link/email version instead. An Office trial that includes Publisher can be used to open a .pub file, and after the trial expires it can still work as a viewer.

For anything you may need to keep editing later, it is recommended to move that content into Word or PowerPoint sooner rather than leave it only in .pub format.

Thank you for your patience in reading, I hope this information has been helpful to you. 

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Answer 2

To check whether any Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files exist and to convert them to PDF or Word, follow these steps.

1. Find existing Publisher files

• On Windows File Explorer, search for *.pub on:
  • This PC (to search all local drives), and
  • OneDrive or SharePoint locations if used.
• Any results with the .pub extension are Microsoft Publisher files.

2. Convert individual Publisher files to PDF For each .pub file that needs to be viewable after Publisher retirement:
3. Open the file in Microsoft Publisher.
4. Select File > Save As.
5. Choose the folder where the converted file should be saved.
6. In Save as type, select PDF.
7. Select Save.

This creates a read‑only PDF that preserves layout and is suitable for viewing and printing.

3. Convert many Publisher files to PDF in bulk If there are many .pub files:

• Use a PowerShell automation script that opens each Publisher file and exports it to PDF.
• Ensure a working, licensed version of Publisher is installed.
• Run the script with filters such as:
  • Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1 -Filter "C:\\Documents\\MyFile.pub"
  • Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1 -Filter "*.pub"
  • Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1 -Filter "*.pub" -Recurse
  • Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1 -Filter "C:\\Documents*.pub"
  • Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1 -Filter "C:\\Documents*.pub" -Recurse

Notes for bulk conversion:

• The script is designed to continue if it encounters errors and will report which files converted and which failed.
• If a PDF with the same name already exists, that file is skipped and an error is shown; rename or delete the existing file and rerun if needed.

4. Convert Publisher content so it can be edited in Word To keep content editable after Publisher is no longer available:
5. First convert the Publisher file to PDF as above.
6. Then convert the PDF to Word:
   1. Open Word.
   2. Select File > Open.
   3. Browse to and open the PDF file.
   4. In the dialog that appears, select OK.
7. Word will open the document as an editable Word file.

Note: The converted Word document is optimized for text editing, so the layout may differ from the original, especially if the publication contains many graphics.

5. Timing and future access

• For Microsoft 365 subscribers, Publisher will no longer be supported and Publisher files will no longer open in Publisher after October 1, 2026.
• It is recommended to convert important .pub files to PDF or Word before that date.
• If using a perpetual (non‑subscription) version of Publisher, installation and use can continue after that date, but support ends.

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References:

• Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
• Save or convert to PDF or XPS in Office Desktop apps
• Where is the Publisher viewer?
• Save As or convert a publication to .pdf or .xps using Publisher
• I have thousands of Publisher files; I'm not opening each one individually to convert them. What is this BS about retiring publisher and losing access to all those files? This is 20 years of work that my business is going to lose, we won't recover from th - Microsoft Q&A