Publisher Support Ending-still using old copy?

Carolyn Latkin 25 Reputation points
2026-09-25T22:52:59.2+00:00

I know Publisher is not supported by Microsoft after 10/1/26 but I have a copy of Office Professional 2021 that I have installed and that includes Publisher. I should still be able to access my Publisher files with that 2021 copy. Is that correct?

Microsoft 365 and Office | Publisher | For business
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Ryan-N 16,105 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator
2026-09-25T23:00:14.35+00:00

Hi Carolyn,

Welcome to the Microsoft Q&A forum.

For Publisher Professional 2021 with a one-time purchase license, after October 1, 2026, you can continue using the application and accessing your existing Publisher files.

You can refer to the following documentation for more information:

Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026 | Microsoft Support

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  1. AI answer

    2026-09-25T22:53:11.12+00:00

    Yes. With Office Professional 2021, Publisher is a perpetual version, so support ends in October 2026, but the app can still be installed and used after that date. The key change is that it will no longer be supported and will no longer receive updates.

    For Microsoft 365 subscribers, Publisher will no longer be available after October 2026 and those users will no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files in Publisher. That retirement behavior does not apply the same way to the perpetual 2021 version.

    Microsoft also recommends converting important .pub files before October 2026, especially to PDF for viewing later, or to Word if editing is needed. Word conversion may change layout, especially in graphic-heavy files.

    References:

    AI-generated content may be incorrect. Read our transparency notes for more information.

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