SRW Publisher™

How to open a .pub file without Publisher

Stephen Wheeler · 10 October 2026

Since Microsoft started removing Publisher from Microsoft 365 on 1 October 2026, many people can no longer open their .pub files with Publisher. The files themselves are still on your computer. Here's how to open and edit them in SRW Publisher instead. It takes a couple of minutes, and you don't need Publisher, Microsoft 365 or Office.

Steps

  1. Install SRW Publisher from the Microsoft Store. The 15-day free trial is the full program, so you can check your own files before buying.
  2. Open your .pub file. Choose File › Open and pick the file, or drag it from a folder onto the SRW Publisher window.
  3. Check the pages. Photos, text boxes, lines and shapes come in as separate pieces you can move, resize and change.
  4. Save it as an SRW Publisher file (.srwp) so you can keep editing it. Your original .pub file is never changed.
  5. Print it, or save it as a PDF to email, whenever you need to.

What might need tidying

Most files, even quite old ones, come through ready to edit. A few things can need a touch:

If a file doesn't come through properly, email it to me at stephen@srwpublisher.co.uk. I look at every one and fix what I can in a future update, so it opens properly for you and everyone else. Your file is used only to find and fix the problem, and is deleted afterwards. See the privacy policy.

Got PDFs instead?

If you saved your Publisher files as PDFs before the deadline, SRW Publisher opens those too, with File › Open, and turns them back into pages you can edit.

Why this matters now: Microsoft Publisher has been retired: what now?

SRW Publisher is an independent product and is not made by, or connected with, Microsoft.

Try SRW Publisher free for 15 days

From the Microsoft Store. £24.99 launch price until 31 December 2026, then £29.99. Pay once, no subscription. Windows 10 and 11.