Microsoft Publisher Retirement

Summary

Information about the retirement of Microsoft Publisher and actions that should be completed before October 1, 2026.

Body

Overview

Microsoft Publisher will be retired and removed from Microsoft 365 on October 1, 2026. After that date, Microsoft 365 users will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher (.pub) files.

What You Need to Do

  • Locate Publisher files before October 1, 2026. Search local drives, OneDrive, and SharePoint sites for .pub files and identify content that should be preserved, converted, or retired.
  • Review existing Publisher content and files. Determine if they should be converted to be edited, converted for consumption, or possibly archived or deleted.
  • If you only need to view, share, or print the file, save Publisher files as PDFs so they can continue to be accessed and distributed.
  • If you need the ability to continue editing the file, convert or move Publisher content to another format before October 1, 2026.

Alternatives to Publisher

Many common Publisher use cases can be recreated using Microsoft 365 applications.

Publisher Use

Recommended Alternative

Flyers

Word or PowerPoint

Brochures

Word or PowerPoint

Business Cards

Word

Labels

Word

Calendars

Word, Excel, or PowerPoint

Envelopes

Word

Need Help?

For questions or assistance, submit a service request through the Minnesota State Service Portal at servicedesk.minnstate.edu using the “Software, Applications and Licensing” service.

Details

Details

Article ID: 701
Created
Thu 9/17/26 3:55 PM
Modified
Thu 9/17/26 4:04 PM
Application Software
Application Software is designed to fulfill the requirements of a user for performing specific tasks. Example types: Education, Word-processing, Spreadsheet, Database, Graphics, Entertainment.
Microsoft 365
Audience
Article is written for this audience.

Other fields handle:
Internal audience = Approved articles;
External authenticated audience = Published articles;
Public articles = Published and Public articles.
Faculty
Staff - All
Staff - IT
Students
Type
The content of the article should be formatted and written to the article type template.
Informational

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