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 PUBFILE RESCUE  -  free tool
 Saves every Microsoft Publisher (.pub) file in a folder as a PDF.
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WHY YOU NEED THIS
  Microsoft Publisher is being retired on 1 October 2026 (13 October 2026 for
  standalone Office 2021). Microsoft's own advice: "Convert your existing files
  to another format before 10/1/2026. After this date, you will no longer be
  able to open or edit these files in Microsoft Publisher."

  This tool uses YOUR copy of Publisher to do the exporting, so the PDFs come
  out looking exactly like the originals. That only works while Publisher is
  still installed and working - so run it now, not in November.


WHAT YOU NEED
  - A Windows PC
  - Microsoft Publisher still installed and opening normally


THE EASY WAY  (try this first)
  1. Unzip this folder somewhere - your Desktop is fine.
  2. Double-click  PubFile-Rescue.vbs
  3. If Windows shows a blue "Windows protected your PC" box, click
     "More info", then "Run anyway". This happens to every downloaded script.
  4. Choose the folder that holds your .pub files. Sub-folders are included
     automatically, so you can point it at one big folder.
  5. Leave the computer alone until it says DONE. A few hundred files can take
     an hour or more - that is normal, Publisher opens each one properly.

  Your PDFs will be in a new folder called PDF-Backup, inside the folder you
  picked.


IF YOUR IT DEPARTMENT BLOCKS SCRIPT FILES  (common at schools)
  Use the macro version instead:
  1. Open Microsoft Publisher.
  2. Press ALT + F11. A code window opens.
  3. Menu: File > Import File... and choose
     PubFile-Rescue-MACRO.bas
  4. Press F5. Choose your folder when asked.

  If importing is also blocked: Insert > Module, then open the .bas file in
  Notepad, copy everything, and paste it into the module window. Press F5.


THINGS WORTH KNOWING
  - Your original .pub files are NEVER changed. They are opened read-only.
  - Nothing is uploaded. Nothing leaves your computer. No account, no sign-up.
  - Safe to run twice. Files that already have a PDF are skipped, so if it
    stops halfway you can just start it again.
  - It writes conversion-log.csv into the PDF-Backup folder listing every file
    and whether it worked. Open it in Excel.
  - Both files are plain readable text. If someone technical at your
    organisation wants to check what they do before you run them, open them in
    Notepad - that is a completely reasonable thing to ask, and encouraged.


IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG
  It stops responding on one file
      That file is probably damaged or was made in a very old version of
      Publisher. Look at conversion-log.csv - the last row that says ATTEMPTING
      names the file. Close Publisher, move that file out of the folder, and
      run the tool again. Everything already converted will be skipped.

  Some files say FAILED in the log
      Usually damaged, password-protected, or a very old format. Try opening
      one by hand in Publisher - if Publisher cannot open it either, the tool
      was never going to.

  "Could not start Microsoft Publisher"
      Publisher is not installed on this PC, or has already been removed by a
      Microsoft 365 update. Try another computer in the office.


WHAT PDFs DO NOT SOLVE
  PDFs save your archive. They do not let you make NEXT month's newsletter -
  a PDF cannot be edited, and your Publisher template will not open anywhere
  after October.

  If you need your bulletin or newsletter rebuilt as something your volunteers
  can keep using, see the website you downloaded this from.


LICENCE AND WARRANTY
  Free to use, free to share, free to pass to another organisation.
  Provided as-is, with no warranty of any kind. It opens files read-only and
  does not modify them, but please keep a backup of important files before
  running any software - including this one.

  Not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft Corporation.
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