AT A GLANCE
LibreOffice Draw can import Publisher .pub files, offering a route to recover and convert content as Microsoft support ends. That does not promise perfect compatibility. Keep the originals and test the results. There is a wider story too: AI-assisted development may help revive abandoned applications, but someone still has to check file fidelity, security and maintenance..... resembling the original application is only the beginning.
Microsoft Publisher has reached the end of the road.
Microsoft 365 began removing access from 1 October, while support for perpetual versions ended on 13 October. Perpetual licence holders can still use Publisher and edit their files, although the application is now unsupported.
LibreOffice offers an escape route. Its free Draw application can import Publisher’s .pub files, allowing users to view, edit and save the content in another format. That capability comes from established open-source development and reverse engineering of the Publisher format.
BUT..... importing a document is not a guarantee that everything will behave perfectly.
My view..... increasingly, AI will help fill these gaps.
Expect more “vibecoded” alternatives, where developers use AI to help build applications, converters and editing tools for software that its original supplier no longer supports.
That is a promising role for AI-assisted development..... preserving access to information and keeping useful work alive after the original software retires.
BUT..... generating an application does not automatically solve file compatibility, security or ongoing maintenance. Somebody still needs to test it, protect the information it handles and fix it when it breaks.
Keep the originals. Test the alternatives. Check where your data goes.
From the briefing.....
In the presentation, I connected Publisher with the broader opportunity to preserve useful work when software is abandoned. The question extends beyond opening a file once: can the business keep using its information reliably, who maintains the replacement, and who protects the data?
THE SOURCE / FURTHER READING
Want the full feature?
You’ve read the TOP STORIES interpretation. Continue to the publisher for the source feature or detailed guidance.
Read the original feature at Neowin (opens a new tab)