Microsoft 365

Question

I received an email that you are cancelling Microsoft 365. It states that I won't be able to open or edit my documents after October 2026 unless I change the format to PDF or something. Will I still be able to use Microsoft word, excel and the rest? How will I be able to get my documents open and edit if I need to? Will I be able for forward my documents if needed? What do I need to do. I do NOT like PDF files so what else it there? At the top of your email is says providing our customers with the tools they need matters to you but clearly that isn't true or you wouldn't be making this change. Now what do I do?

S. W

Answer 1

What does the e-mail say, exactly? Possibly it warns you that Publisher will be removed from subscription versions of Office in late October 2026. If you have Publisher files (.pub), PDF conversion is a way to preserve these files so that you can view them even after October.

Answer 2

The email is about two different things that happen on different dates:

1. Windows 10 support ends October 14, 2025
   • After this date, Windows 10 no longer gets security updates.
   • Microsoft 365 Apps (Word, Excel, etc.) will still run on Windows 10, and will keep getting security updates until October 10, 2028 while upgrading to Windows 11 is recommended.
2. Publisher and some Office products lose support in 2026
   • Microsoft Publisher (Microsoft 365 version) will no longer be available to install or download after October 2026.
   • If using a perpetual (one‑time purchase) version of Publisher, it can still be installed and used after support ends, but there will be no updates.
   • Office 2021 support ends October 13, 2026. The apps (Word, Excel, etc.) will still work, but there will be no security or bug‑fix updates.

What this means for Word, Excel, and other Office apps

From the information provided:

• Word, Excel, and the rest of Microsoft 365 Apps do not stop working in October 2026.
• On Windows 10, they:
  • Keep working after October 14, 2025.
  • Keep receiving feature updates until at least August 2026 (for home users on Current Channel).
  • Keep receiving security updates until October 10, 2028.
• If using Office 2021, all apps continue to function after October 13, 2026, but without any further updates or support.

The “you won’t be able to open or edit your documents after October 2026 unless you convert them” language in the context applies specifically to Publisher (.pub) files for Microsoft 365 subscribers, not to Word (.docx) or Excel (.xlsx) files:

• After October 2026, Microsoft 365 subscribers will not be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher, so converting those to PDF or Word is recommended.
• If using a perpetual Publisher license, Publisher can still open and edit .pub files after that date, just without support.

Opening, editing, and forwarding documents

Based on the context:

• Word and Excel documents (.docx, .xlsx) remain fully usable in their native apps as long as those apps are installed and licensed.
• Documents can still be opened, edited, and forwarded (for example, as email attachments) as usual.
• The conversion guidance is specifically for Publisher (.pub) files when using Microsoft 365, because that app is being retired from the subscription.

What to do now

1. Check which products are in use
   • If using Microsoft 365 (subscription):
     • Word, Excel, etc. continue as normal.
     • Only Publisher is being removed from the subscription after October 2026.
   • If using Office 2021:
     • All apps keep working after October 13, 2026, but without updates or support.
2. If there are Publisher (.pub) files and Microsoft 365 is used
   • Before October 2026, open important .pub files and convert them to formats that will still be easy to open later:
     • PDF (for sharing/printing only), or
     • Word or other formats if the content needs to be edited later.
   • For large numbers of .pub files, a PowerShell script can bulk‑convert them to PDF, as described in the Publisher retirement article.
3. If Windows 10 is still in use
   • Plan to upgrade to Windows 11 so that both Windows and Microsoft 365 Apps stay fully supported and secure.

Alternatives to PDF for Publisher content

If PDF is not preferred and there are Publisher files:

• Convert key Publisher documents into Word (for text‑heavy items like newsletters, forms, letters).
• Use Word or PowerPoint going forward for:
  • Ads, flyers, brochures, banners, signs, posters, certificates, business cards, calendars, labels, letterhead, newsletters, programs, and cards.

These apps remain available in Microsoft 365 and are the recommended replacements for Publisher scenarios.

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References:

• Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026
• What Windows end of support means for Office and Microsoft 365
• Windows 10 support has ended on October 14, 2025
• End of support for Office 2021