How schools, churches and small businesses can save old Publisher files

Many organizations have years of newsletters, flyers, forms and directories saved as .pub files, often made by someone who has since moved on. Microsoft Publisher is ending in October 2026. Here is a plan to save it all.

A five-step plan

1. Gather. Collect every .pub file from shared drives, old computers, USB sticks and email. Our guide to finding all your .pub files shows how.
2. Convert to PDF in bulk. Open the PubToPDF converter, drop in the files, and download every PDF in one ZIP.
3. Organize. Put the PDFs in a shared folder sorted by year or by event, with clear file names.
4. Decide what to rebuild. For the few designs you still reuse, such as a yearly flyer or a form, recreate them in Word, Google Docs or Canva. See Publisher alternatives.
5. Keep the originals. Store the .pub files in an archive folder too. They are your editable source files.

Why privacy matters here

Many of these files contain names, phone numbers, student information or member directories. Most online converters work by uploading your file to their servers. PubToPDF converts the file inside your own browser, so nothing is sent anywhere. Always check your organization's own data policy, but this approach avoids handing files to a third party.

Notes for IT staff

• Nothing to install and no accounts. It runs in a modern browser, including on managed Chromebooks.
• The converter downloads a program of about 50 MB the first time, from cdn.zetaoffice.net. If your network filters websites, allow this site and that address.
• The browser must allow service workers. Private or incognito windows may block them.
• Fonts that are not installed are replaced by similar ones, so check important files after converting.