How to open old Microsoft Publisher .pub files
When proprietary software like Microsoft Publisher reaches its end-of-life, the file format becomes orphaned and unsupported. This leaves your archive unreadable and stops you from accessing or editing legacy documents once future security updates and application support disappear.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1Converting legacy files to PDFDid this help you?
- 2Buying a perpetually licensed version of the softwareDid this help you?
- 3Switching to alternative design software like InDesignDid this help you?
- 4Isolating or virtualizing systems running offline softwareDid this help you?
- 5Using newer quote templates built in ReactDid this help you?
- 6Setting up local development environments with HubSpot ProjectsDid this help you?
- 7Upgrading to Revenue Hub ProDid this help you?
- 8Exporting files to PDF using a working Publisher installationDid this help you?
- 9Opening files with LibreOffice DrawDid this help you?
- 10Copying and pasting file contents into a Word documentDid this help you?
- 11Using PowerPoint as a replacement format for publishing layoutsDid this help you?
- 12Using third-party conversion toolsDid this help you?
- 13Asking online community members to share previously downloaded installer filesDid this help you?
- 14Searching for alternative software productsDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“Publisher got pulled from M365 today with no real replacement.”source ↗
“Best thing to do now is find all your .pub files and get them to PDF.”source ↗
“They no longer provide a download link even though we have already a license.”source ↗
“Tried to contact them and said to look else where for other products.”source ↗
“I say this as someone who's been using Publisher for ~30 years and is rather saddened to see it go.”source ↗
“The kicker is going to be no future security updates for perpetual editions of Publisher, and that the .pub file format becomes orphaned and unsupported. Your .pub archive eventually will become unreadable.”source ↗
“I have a use case for legacy quotes that really does not require revenue hub, but it looks like the settings and template configuration is completely gone for legacy quotes.”source ↗
“As a dev, I'm not happy with such an overcomplicating approach (HubSpot projects in general) as this excludes most core users of editing/modifying things easily via the Design-Manager”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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- 3Why do former employees still have active logins?
- 4Vendor forced us from perpetual licenses to a subscription