How to mass convert Publisher files to some other usable format?

Hi Roger,

You can use a PowerShell script to help bulk-convert your Publisher files to PDF, which can significantly reduce the effort required when working with a large number of publications.

Please note that after October 1, 2026, Microsoft Publisher is no longer supported, and you may no longer be able to open or edit Publisher files using Microsoft 365 apps. To run the conversion script, you'll need access to a standalone version of Publisher that remains installed on your device, such as Publisher 2021 or another perpetual-license edition that includes Publisher.

Before proceeding, it's also recommended that you create a backup of all your original .pub files so that you retain the source documents after the conversion process.

• Go to C:\ and create a new folder named PubConvert > copy the downloaded file (named Convert-PubFileToPDF.ps1) into this folder
• Then put all your .pub files into a single folder
• After that, open Windows PowerShell and follow this instruction:

For reference: Help Converting Publisher Files To PDFs - Microsoft Q&A

<#
.SYNOPSIS
	Converts Microsoft Publisher .pub files to PDF format.
.DESCRIPTION
	This script automates the conversion of Microsoft Publisher (.pub) files to PDF format using the Microsoft Office Interop Publisher library.
	It processes all files matching the specified filter, checks if a PDF already exists for each file, and skips conversion if the PDF is present.
	The script logs successful conversions and any errors encountered during the process.
    Updated to fully support Windows Long Paths (>260 characters) and wildcard filters.
.PARAMETER Filter
	Specifies the file filter to select Publisher files for conversion.
	This can be a specific file name (e.g., "document.pub") or a wildcard pattern (e.g., "*.pub").
.PARAMETER Recurse
	If specified, searches for Publisher files recursively in all subdirectories that match the filter. If omitted, only the current directory is searched.
#>
param
(
	[ValidateNotNullOrEmpty()]
	[string]
	$Filter,
	[switch]
	$Recurse
)
if (-not $PSBoundParameters.ContainsKey('Filter')) {
	Write-Error "The -Filter parameter is required."
	exit 1
}
if (-not ($Filter -like "*.pub")) {
	Write-Error "The filter must specify .pub files (e.g., '*.pub' or 'file.pub').";
	exit 1;
}
try {
	# Safely determine the search directory and file pattern without letting GetFullPath choke on wildcards
	$resolvedFilter = $ExecutionContext.SessionState.Path.GetUnresolvedProviderPathFromPSPath($Filter)
	if ([System.IO.Directory]::Exists($resolvedFilter)) {
		$searchDir = $resolvedFilter
		$searchPattern = "*.pub"
	} else {
		# Split the path into directory and file pattern parts safely
		$searchDir = [System.IO.Path]::GetDirectoryName($resolvedFilter)
		$searchPattern = [System.IO.Path]::GetFileName($resolvedFilter)
		# If the directory part still contains wildcards, strip them to find the base path
		if ($searchDir -like "*[*?]*") {
			Write-Error "Wildcards are only supported in the filename/extension part of the filter, not in folder names."
			exit 1
		}
	}
	if (-not [System.IO.Directory]::Exists($searchDir)) {
		Write-Error "The directory does not exist: $searchDir"
		exit 1
	}
	# Use modern dotnet enumeration which natively ignores the 260 character path limit
	$searchOption = if ($Recurse) { [System.IO.SearchOption]::AllDirectories } else { [System.IO.SearchOption]::TopDirectoryOnly }
	try {
		$rawFiles = [System.IO.Directory]::EnumerateFiles($searchDir, $searchPattern, $searchOption)
		$files = @()
		foreach ($f in $rawFiles) {
			$files += New-Object System.IO.FileInfo($f)
		}
	} catch {
		Write-Error "Error finding files: $_"
		exit 1
	}
	if ($files.Count -eq 0) {
		Write-Error "No Publisher files found for the filter: $Filter";
		exit 1;
	}
	Write-Output "Running...";
	Add-type -AssemblyName Office;
	Add-type -AssemblyName Microsoft.Office.Interop.Publisher;
	try {
		$app = New-Object -ComObject Publisher.Application;
	} catch {
		Write-Error "Microsoft Publisher is not installed or accessible.";
		exit 1;
	}
	$successCount = 0;
	$failCount = 0;
	foreach ($file in $files) {
		if ($file.Extension -eq ".pub") {
			$fileFullName = $file.FullName;
			# Prepend long path escape prefix if the path length exceeds standard limits
			if ($fileFullName.Length -ge 240 -and -not $fileFullName.StartsWith("\\?\")) {
				if ($fileFullName.StartsWith("\\")) {
					# Network UNC paths
					$fileFullName = "\\?\UNC\" + $fileFullName.Substring(2)
				} else {
					# Local drive paths
					$fileFullName = "\\?\" + $fileFullName
				}
			}
			$pdfFilePath = [System.IO.Path]::ChangeExtension($fileFullName, '.pdf')
			# Use dotnet's Exists check to circumvent standard Test-Path path length limitations
			if ([System.IO.File]::Exists($pdfFilePath)) {
				Write-Error "PDF file already exists: $pdfFilePath";
				$failCount++;
				Continue;
			}
			# Open the file
			try {
				$doc = $app.Open($fileFullName);
			} catch {
				$failCount++;
				Write-Error "Error opening file: $fileFullName $_";
				Continue;
			}
			if (-not($doc)) {
				$failCount++;
				Write-Error "Failed to open file: $fileFullName";
				Continue;
			}
			try {
				# Export file as PDF
				$doc.ExportAsFixedFormat([Microsoft.Office.Interop.Publisher.PbFixedFormatType]::pbFixedFormatTypePDF, $pdfFilePath);
				if ([System.IO.File]::Exists($pdfFilePath)) {
					Write-Output "Exported to $pdfFilePath.";
					$successCount++;
				} else {
					$failCount++;
					Write-Error "Failed to export file: $fileFullName";
				}
			} catch {
				$failCount++;
				Write-Error "Error during export: $_";
			}
			$doc.Close();
		}
	}
	#Log output
	Write-Output "Converted $successCount files with $failCount errors.";
}catch{
	Write-Error $_;
}finally {
	if ($app) {
		#Quit Publisher
		$app.Quit();
	}
}

If you do not have a version of Publisher installed on your device, you will need to use a third-party conversion tool or service to convert your .pub files. Please note that Microsoft does not provide or support third-party conversion tools, and the quality and accuracy of the conversion may vary depending on the complexity of the publication. Before using any third-party solution, it is recommended that you back up your original Publisher files and review your organization's security and privacy requirements, especially if files will be uploaded to an online service.

If you have any questions or need further assistance, please feel free to share them in the comments on this post.

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