--- title: "Publisher File Won't Open? Causes and Fixes (2026)" description: "Why .pub files won't open since Publisher left Microsoft 365, and fixes for wrong apps, damaged files, old versions and OneDrive. Free routes first." url: https://aretus.app/publisher-file-wont-open last_updated: 2026-10-28 site: Aretus --- # Publisher file won't open? Why it happens now, and how to get your file back > Most .pub files that won't open aren't broken. Microsoft removed Publisher from Microsoft 365 starting October 1, 2026, so many computers have nothing to open them with. Open it free in LibreOffice Draw, or convert it to PDF online. If it still fails, check that it's fully downloaded, really a Publisher file, and not from the early 1990s. ## Start here: match what you see to the fix | What happens | Most likely cause | Jump to | |---|---|---| | Publisher is missing from the Start menu, or won't start | Publisher was removed from Microsoft 365 | [Publisher was removed](#why-so-many-publisher-files-stopped-opening-in-october-2026) | | Windows asks "How do you want to open this file?" or opens the wrong app | No app is linked to .pub files | [Wrong app](#the-pub-file-opens-in-the-wrong-app-or-no-app-at-all) | | A cloud icon, or an error when you're offline | The file is an online-only OneDrive copy | [OneDrive and SharePoint](#the-file-lives-in-onedrive-sharepoint-or-teams) | | It opens as one line of text starting "ssh-" | It's a login key, not a Publisher file | [Wrong app](#the-pub-file-opens-in-the-wrong-app-or-no-app-at-all) | | An error says the file is damaged, or pages come up blank | The file is damaged | [Damaged files](#the-file-may-be-damaged) | | It's from the 1990s | The file is very old | [Very old files](#the-file-is-very-old) | ## Why so many Publisher files stopped opening in October 2026 If the trouble started in October 2026, the file is probably fine. Microsoft retired Publisher, and [Microsoft 365 subscribers lost access starting October 1, 2026](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher). The removal reached computers gradually, so Publisher [kept working on some PCs after it had stopped on others](https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/10/13/microsoft-publisher-begins-disappearing-from-pcs-after-35-years-and-your-pub-files-wont-open-in-microsoft-365-anymore/). To many people it looked like "Publisher stopped working after an update." One-time-purchase copies (Publisher 2016, 2019 and 2021) were not removed. They still open files, without updates. The full story is in [Microsoft Publisher end of life](https://aretus.app/microsoft-publisher-end-of-life). Your options, free ones first: 1. **Open it in LibreOffice Draw.** LibreOffice is free for Windows, Mac and Linux, and Draw opens .pub files. See [how to open a Publisher file in LibreOffice](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-in-libreoffice), including what tends to go wrong. 2. **Ask someone who still has Publisher** to save the file as PDF. For one or two important files, this gives the most faithful copy. 3. **Use our converter** to [convert a .pub file to PDF](https://aretus.app/) online. You see a free, watermarked preview of every page for the first 10 files in a batch, and one clean file is free per email address. After that it's a one-time $5 for up to 10 files, $15 for up to 60, $29 for up to 300, or $59 for up to 2,000, and only files that convert count ([pricing](https://aretus.app/pricing)). No account, and files are deleted after 24 hours. ## The .pub file opens in the wrong app, or no app at all Without Publisher, Windows doesn't know what a .pub file is. It may ask which app to use, or hand the file to Notepad or some other app that claimed the .pub extension. **To fix it on Windows 11 or 10,** install LibreOffice first. Then right-click the .pub file, choose **Open with > Choose another app**, pick **LibreOffice Draw**, and tick the box to always use it. You can also go to **Settings > Apps > Default apps**, search for ".pub", and pick the app there ([Microsoft's steps](https://support.microsoft.com/Windows/apps/change-default-apps-in-windows)). **If Notepad shows a single line starting with "ssh-rsa" or "ssh-ed25519",** it isn't a Publisher file at all. It's a public key for secure logins, often in a folder named `.ssh`. Leave it alone. Our guide to [what a .pub file is](https://aretus.app/what-is-a-pub-file) explains how to tell the two apart. **If someone renamed another kind of file to .pub,** no Publisher tool will open it. An old Microsoft troubleshooting post explains that when Publisher can't open a file, it's usually damaged or isn't a supported Publisher file ([Microsoft](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/bgp/recover-data-from-corrupt-publisher-file)). ## The file lives in OneDrive, SharePoint or Teams **Online-only files.** With OneDrive Files On-Demand, a file with a blue cloud icon exists only online, and [it can't be opened while your computer is offline](https://support.microsoft.com/office/onedrive-files-on-demand-0e6860d3-d9f3-4971-b321-7092438fb38e). Connect to the internet and open it again, or right-click it and choose **Always keep on this device**. Do this for the whole folder before you convert an archive. **In a web browser.** If OneDrive or SharePoint can't show a preview of a .pub file, choose **Download**, then open the downloaded copy in LibreOffice or upload it to a converter. **Shared libraries still syncing.** Wait until the file shows a green check mark. A partly downloaded file can look damaged. ## The file may be damaged Signs: an error says the file is damaged or isn't a Publisher file, pages open blank, or the size shows 0 KB. Try these in order: 1. **Look for another copy.** Check email you sent or received, a shared drive, an old laptop or a USB stick. A 0 KB file has nothing left to recover. 2. **Restore an earlier version.** For files in OneDrive or SharePoint, right-click the file, choose **Version history**, and restore a version from before the problem ([Microsoft's steps](https://support.microsoft.com/onedrive/restore-a-previous-version-of-a-file-stored-in-onedrive)). On work or school accounts, your administrator may have turned versioning off. 3. **Try a different reader.** Publisher and LibreOffice read files in different ways, so a file one rejects may open in the other. 4. **Rescue the words with Publisher.** If you still have Publisher, Microsoft's old advice is to create a blank publication and insert the damaged file as text. In Publisher 2010 the command is **Insert File** on the Insert tab ([Microsoft](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/bgp/recover-data-from-corrupt-publisher-file)). You lose the layout but keep the text. Our converter can't repair damaged files. If a file fails, it's listed with a plain-English reason and isn't charged. ## The file is very old Age matters more than most people expect: - **Publisher 2002 to 2010 files** open well. LibreOffice [officially lists Publisher 98 to 2010](https://ask.libreoffice.org/t/what-are-the-5-x-draw-import-export-filters/15178), and newer files usually open too. - **Publisher 98 and 2000 files** usually open, but in our tests tables went missing and one font was drawn wrong. - **Publisher 1.0, 2.0 and Publisher for Windows 95 files** aren't read by any open-source importer we know of, so LibreOffice and every converter built on it can't read them. The US National Archives recommends converting Publisher 95 files to PDF ([NARA record](https://www.archives.gov/files/lod/dpframework/id/NF00296.ttl)), which in practice means finding an old copy of Publisher that still opens them. It works the other way too: an older copy of Publisher may refuse a file saved by a newer one. Our guide to [old Publisher files](https://aretus.app/old-publisher-files) goes version by version. ## Still stuck? Keep the original .pub file whatever happens. If LibreOffice and our free preview both fail, the file needs someone with Publisher. ## Related guides - [How to open a Publisher file in LibreOffice](https://aretus.app/open-pub-file-in-libreoffice) - [How to open old Publisher files](https://aretus.app/old-publisher-files) - [Microsoft Publisher end of life](https://aretus.app/microsoft-publisher-end-of-life) - [What is a .pub file?](https://aretus.app/what-is-a-pub-file) ## Frequently asked questions ### Why did my Publisher files stop opening in October 2026? Microsoft removed Publisher from Microsoft 365 starting October 1, 2026, and the change reached different computers at different times. Your files are fine. The app that opened them is gone, so open them in LibreOffice Draw or convert them to PDF. ### Can I reinstall Publisher from my Microsoft 365 account? No. Publisher is no longer part of Microsoft 365. Only one-time-purchase copies, such as Publisher 2016, 2019 or 2021, still install and run, and they no longer get updates. ### My .pub file opens as one line of text in Notepad. What is it? It's almost certainly a public key used for secure logins (for example id_rsa.pub), not a Publisher document. Leave it where it is and don't convert it. ### Can a damaged .pub file be repaired? Sometimes. First try an earlier version from OneDrive or SharePoint version history, or from a backup. If you still have Publisher, inserting the damaged file into a new publication can rescue the text. Our converter can't repair files, but files that fail aren't charged. ### Why does Windows keep asking which app to use for a .pub file? No installed app is linked to .pub files anymore. Install LibreOffice, then choose LibreOffice Draw and tick the box to always use it, or set it under Settings > Apps > Default apps. ### Will a file from Publisher 95 or earlier open anywhere? Not in LibreOffice or in any converter we know of, because no open-source importer reads those early formats. Your best route is someone with an old copy of Publisher that still opens it, or a scan of a printed copy. ## Sources 1. [Microsoft Support: Publisher retirement FAQ](https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/publisher) 2. [Windows Latest: Microsoft Publisher begins disappearing from PCs (Oct 13, 2026)](https://www.windowslatest.com/2026/10/13/microsoft-publisher-begins-disappearing-from-pcs-after-35-years-and-your-pub-files-wont-open-in-microsoft-365-anymore/) 3. [Microsoft Support: Change default apps in Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/Windows/apps/change-default-apps-in-windows) 4. [Microsoft Support: Save disk space with OneDrive Files On-Demand for Windows](https://support.microsoft.com/office/onedrive-files-on-demand-0e6860d3-d9f3-4971-b321-7092438fb38e) 5. [Microsoft Support: Restore a previous version of a file stored in OneDrive](https://support.microsoft.com/onedrive/restore-a-previous-version-of-a-file-stored-in-onedrive) 6. [Microsoft (archived blog): Recover data from a corrupt Publisher file](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/archive/blogs/bgp/recover-data-from-corrupt-publisher-file) 7. [Ask LibreOffice: Draw import filters (Microsoft Publisher 98-2010)](https://ask.libreoffice.org/t/what-are-the-5-x-draw-import-export-filters/15178) 8. [US National Archives: Microsoft Publisher 95 format record (NF00296)](https://www.archives.gov/files/lod/dpframework/id/NF00296.ttl) ## Cite this page “Publisher file won't open? Why it happens now, and how to get your file back.” Aretus, last updated October 28, 2026. https://aretus.app/publisher-file-wont-open Quoting this page? Please link to it, so your readers can check the source.