PUB RescueGet the app

PUB Rescue for Windows

Your Publisher files, safe in PDF and PowerPoint.

PUB Rescue converts .pub files on your own computer, a whole folder at a time, and reports detected changes.

Get it from Microsoft: download PUB Rescue from the Microsoft StoreFree from the Microsoft Store · Windows 10 and 11 · See prices
Illustration of the PUB Rescue window. The app is in English.

The real app

This is PUB Rescue on Windows.

Screenshots of version 1.0.0, the same as in the Microsoft Store. The app is in English.

  • The empty PUB Rescue window with the drop area and the Choose files and Choose a folder buttons
    Drop Publisher files or whole folders onto the window to start.
  • Two Publisher files converting, each marked Converting
    Thousands of files convert in one batch; the list shows each file as it finishes.
  • A finished file marked With notes, its notes and a table of the fonts used
    Every file gets a plain-language report, including which fonts were used and why.
  • Settings for the output folder, font mode, PowerPoint editing mode and PDF/A
    Choose the output folder, the font mode, PowerPoint editing mode and PDF/A.
  • The trial banner with the Activate a licence and Buy buttons
    The free trial converts everything to PDF with a trial mark, so you can check your collection first.
  • The About panel showing version 1.0.0 and a Business licence activated on this PC
    About shows your licence: Personal or Business edition, bought once with no subscription.

What's changing

Publisher is being retired.

Microsoft began removing Publisher from Microsoft 365 on or shortly after 1 October 2026, and support for perpetual versions ends on 13 October. Years of newsletters, flyers and templates are in a format almost nothing else opens properly.

Microsoft's announcement

How it works

Add a folder. Get PDFs and slides back.

  1. Add a file or a whole folder.

    Drop it on the window or choose it. Subfolders come too, and your originals are only read, never changed.

  2. Every file becomes a PDF and a PowerPoint.

    PUB Rescue converts every file into a new folder with the same structure. Leave it running, even on thousands of files.

  3. Review detected changes.

    The report lists detected changes, such as substituted fonts or WordArt drawn as shapes, with the file and page.

Layout and fonts

Checked against Publisher itself.

PUB Rescue lays out every page itself, and we check the results against more than 400 PDFs exported by Microsoft Publisher. Text that flows across linked boxes comes out once, in the right order.

For common Office fonts you don't have, PUB Rescue uses substitutes with similar character widths to help preserve the layout. The report lists detected substitutions. Installing the original font may improve the result; check important pages visually.

Flyer page exported to PDF by Microsoft Publisher
The same page converted to PDF by PUB Rescue1
PublisherPUB Rescue

Converted

  1. WordArt is drawn in a simpler form: 3-D effects look plain.
  2. Some Publisher formatting in this file is not carried over yet.
Left: exported by Microsoft Publisher. Right: converted by PUB Rescue. Our own test flyer, page 1.

Highlights

Built for real archives.

  • 400+reference PDFs exported by Microsoft Publisher that we test PUB Rescue against
  • 1,000files converted in one tested batch
  • Oncetext across linked boxes comes out once, in the right order
  • Listedfonts it had to substitute, with similar character widths to help keep the layout
  • PDF/Aoptional archival PDF next to the editable PowerPoint
  • 0 uploadseverything happens on your PC, and converting works without internet

Editable PowerPoint

Every page is also a slide you can edit.

Need to change something? Every page also becomes a PowerPoint slide, with the text still editable and the boxes where they were.

Privacy

Everything stays on your PC.

No upload, no account, and converting works without internet.

  • No upload
  • No account
  • Works offline

Large archives

Point it at thousands of files.

If you stop halfway, the next run picks up where it left off. Files kept only in OneDrive are fetched one at a time.

For organisations

Made for shared drives and whole archives.

  • Tested on batches of 1,000 files

    Leave it running. A damaged file is set aside and reported; the rest carry on.

  • Reports as a web page or CSV

    One report for the whole batch, to check or to hand over.

  • Network drives and long paths

    Shared folders, deep folder trees and files kept only in OneDrive.

  • Business edition

    For use within a company or organisation.

Pricing

Pay once. No subscription.

The free trial converts everything to PDF with a watermark, so you can check your own files first.

Free trial

Free No time limit

  • Every file to PDF, with a watermark
  • A report of detected changes for every file
  • Whole folders at once
  • No PowerPoint files
Get the app

Personal

US$49.99 One-time payment

  • PDF without a watermark
  • PowerPoint with editable text
  • For one person, non-commercial use
  • Up to 2 computers
Buy Personal

Business

US$149.99 One-time payment

  • Everything in Personal
  • Commercial use, also for your clients' files
  • For one organisation or freelancer
  • Up to 5 computers
Buy Business

30-day money-back guarantee · Pay once, no subscription · Secure checkout by Paddle

Pay once, use it for good. Updates through the Microsoft Store. Start with Personal and upgrade to Business later for the difference in price.

Prices in US dollars. In the EU and the UK they include VAT; elsewhere sales tax may be added at checkout.

FAQ

Questions and answers.

Do I need Microsoft Publisher?

No. PUB Rescue reads .pub files itself.

Are my files uploaded anywhere?

No. Everything happens on your computer, and converting works without internet.

Will it change my original files?

No. Converted files go into a new folder.

Which Publisher versions does it handle?

Files from Publisher 2000 to Microsoft 365. Older files are converted where possible; check the output and report.

What do I get?

A PDF of every file (with an archival PDF/A option) and a PowerPoint file with editable text.

Can I get Word files?

Not at launch.

What if something doesn't convert exactly?

The report lists detected changes, such as substituted fonts, with the file and page. Check important files yourself too; it may not catch every visual difference.

How much does it cost?

The trial is free with no time limit. A licence is a one-time payment: Personal US$49.99, Business US$149.99, with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Is it a subscription?

No. You pay once. The free trial converts everything to PDF with a watermark.

When can I get it?

Now. Download the free trial from the Microsoft Store, and buy a licence on pub-rescue.com when you're ready.

What do I need to run it?

A PC with Windows 10 version 1809 or later, or Windows 11, 64-bit. On Windows 10, we recommend the latest update (22H2).

How do I install it?

From the Microsoft Store, like any other Store app.

Do I need internet?

To install it, to buy a licence and to activate it once; you can also activate from another device. In the first 180 days, a licensed PUB Rescue also checks for blocked licences at most once a week when it's online, and keeps working if it can't. Converting works offline.

Does it handle text in other languages, with accents?

Yes. The report tells you if a font or a character needs attention.

What if a file is damaged?

The rest of the batch carries on, and the report lists the file that couldn't be converted.

Is there a Mac version?

Not yet. If you need one, write to hello@pub-rescue.com: it helps us decide.

Do I upload my files to you?

No. PUB Rescue is a Windows app. We don't run an upload service; if a site asks you to upload your files, it isn't us.

Is PUB Rescue made by Microsoft?

No. It's an independent product and isn't affiliated with Microsoft.