5 ms·

Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026

46 points by tech234a 3y ago

benced 3y ago
I remember when we had to do any fancy layout stuff (like a brochure) in school, we had to use Publisher. For most kids, this was very restrictive because their home computers only had the basic office suite but my parents had the upgraded version so we had it.
frognumber 3y ago
This will hurt a lot of institutions who have sometimes decades of content. I don't see why a tool like this can't be made free / unsupported, or if IP allows, even open-source. All that archival content is dead the instant the license servers go down. This is also very unlike Microsoft, who usually cares so much about client business continuity. It's more a Google thing. That's the whole reason people pick Microsoft.
- timschmidt 3y ago
  There is some existing open source work here: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/DLP/Libraries/libmspub https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/DLP/Libraries/libmspub
  - chris_wot 3y ago
    It's limited, LibreOffice does a good job but it has still got compatibility problems.
    - timschmidt 3y ago
      I'm sure they'd welcome bug reports or patches related to any issues you run into. Seems like your only option other than keeping an ancient and unsupported copy of Publisher in a VM.
      - chris_wot 3y ago
        I don’t use Publisher, but have done some code patches to the widgeting toolkit used by LibreOffice. I’ve seen bug reports already :-) somebody would need to fix them…
- chris_wot 3y ago
  Yeah, Microsoft have screwed up with this one. Publisher had a market (still does) and so far as I'm aware despite them saying that you can do the same thing as you did in Publisher in Word, you can't open Publisher files in Word. That's the issue. If you could open them in Word, then I could understand them getting rid of Publisher. But you can't, so it doesn't make any sense.
xnx 3y ago
This is a bummer, but since Publisher is an installable program and Microsoft has been very good about backward compatibility, it should be possible to run Publisher forever (or at least in an emulator). This is much better than when web services get shut down.
phoenixreader 3y ago
Microsoft Publisher was great for making banners and posters for small businesses. It’s basically free for people with Office. Anyone knows a suitable replacement? Is it all Canva from now on?
- CharlesW 3y ago
  Kittl and Adobe Express are two other great alternatives to Canva.
- ensignavenger 3y ago
  I have used Scribus in the past, when I needed this type of software. https://www.scribus.net/ https://www.scribus.net/
gonzo41 3y ago
Now do MS Access. But seriously, this is kind of a bummer and a lot of people are going to be left high and dry. This is like when they started messing with paint.
- amanzi 3y ago
  MS Access still keeps a whole load of orgs running (whether they know it or not!) But now you've also got Power Apps, which is kinda like the "New MS Access". So if you had sprawls of Access databases before, you can look forward to sprawls of Power Apps instead. I've already seen Power Apps keeping an important business process running, until the user that deployed it leaves the org and it just dies...
  - JohnDeHope 3y ago
    I'd agree if Power Apps had a programming language backing it up. Say what you want about VBA, but it's at least a programming language. The databases and UIs were often just along for the ride, in my experience. The ability to run code was what made MS Access so useful to me. Power Apps just isn't there, yet, I don't think.
    - nullindividual 3y ago
      PowerApps can call external services, such as Azure Functions.
    - pjmlp 3y ago
      Power Apps are extensible via PowerFX, Canvas components, Web APIs and .NET SDK, or do you mean having some programing right there in the canvas designer?
  - gonzo41 3y ago
    I was joking of course. There's just a bunch of business critical stuff where i work that runs through old access DB's and I'd love for MSFT to sunset it and force everyone to have to confront some old business processes with new eyes.
chem83 3y ago
I recommend jumping into Affinity Publisher (https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher) instead. All Affinity software, by the way, is great. Good x-platform support, resonable prices (and they go on sale often), powerful enough compared to Adobe suite and most importantly: no subscriptions.
- npsomaratna 3y ago
  I second this. Affinity has a fantastic suite of tools that is great value for money. Best benefit of all: being able to ditch the intrusive crap Adobe forces on you when you install their stuff.
- gschizas 3y ago
  Oh cool, I had already bought it (and forgot about it!). Unfortunately, it doesn't support opening MS Publisher documents directly. I'm a bit wary about converting my (very few) MS Publisher documents to PDF to import them. Is there any better solution?
- jszymborski 3y ago
  I love the Affinity products and their business model. Just wish they had a Linux version :(
Crosseye_Jack 3y ago
RIP Publisher, you were the source of countless paper airplanes throughout school. And while you may no longer be the DPS we use, you will be the one we remember (at least for this nerd).
commoner 3y ago
To anyone looking for an alternative, the best free and open source desktop publishing software is Scribus. The look and feel of Scribus is closer to that of professional applications like Adobe InDesign. Scribus is able to import Microsoft Publisher files, though I've never tried the feature. Unlike Publisher and most other desktop publishing applications, Scribus also works on Linux. https://www.scribus.net/ https://www.scribus.net/

46 points by tech234a 3y ago

I remember when we had to do any fancy layout stuff (like a brochure) in school, we had to use Publisher. For most kids, this was very restrictive because their home computers only had the basic office suite but my parents had the upgraded version so we had it.

frognumber 3y ago

This will hurt a lot of institutions who have sometimes decades of content. I don't see why a tool like this can't be made free / unsupported, or if IP allows, even open-source. All that archival content is dead the instant the license servers go down. This is also very unlike Microsoft, who usually cares so much about client business continuity. It's more a Google thing. That's the whole reason people pick Microsoft.

timschmidt 3y ago
There is some existing open source work here: https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/DLP/Libraries/libmspub https://wiki.documentfoundation.org/DLP/Libraries/libmspub
- chris_wot 3y ago
  It's limited, LibreOffice does a good job but it has still got compatibility problems.
  - timschmidt 3y ago
    I'm sure they'd welcome bug reports or patches related to any issues you run into. Seems like your only option other than keeping an ancient and unsupported copy of Publisher in a VM.
    - chris_wot 3y ago
      I don’t use Publisher, but have done some code patches to the widgeting toolkit used by LibreOffice. I’ve seen bug reports already :-) somebody would need to fix them…
chris_wot 3y ago
Yeah, Microsoft have screwed up with this one. Publisher had a market (still does) and so far as I'm aware despite them saying that you can do the same thing as you did in Publisher in Word, you can't open Publisher files in Word. That's the issue. If you could open them in Word, then I could understand them getting rid of Publisher. But you can't, so it doesn't make any sense.

xnx 3y ago

This is a bummer, but since Publisher is an installable program and Microsoft has been very good about backward compatibility, it should be possible to run Publisher forever (or at least in an emulator). This is much better than when web services get shut down.

phoenixreader 3y ago

Microsoft Publisher was great for making banners and posters for small businesses. It’s basically free for people with Office. Anyone knows a suitable replacement? Is it all Canva from now on?

CharlesW 3y ago
Kittl and Adobe Express are two other great alternatives to Canva.
ensignavenger 3y ago
I have used Scribus in the past, when I needed this type of software. https://www.scribus.net/ https://www.scribus.net/

gonzo41 3y ago

Now do MS Access. But seriously, this is kind of a bummer and a lot of people are going to be left high and dry. This is like when they started messing with paint.

amanzi 3y ago
MS Access still keeps a whole load of orgs running (whether they know it or not!) But now you've also got Power Apps, which is kinda like the "New MS Access". So if you had sprawls of Access databases before, you can look forward to sprawls of Power Apps instead. I've already seen Power Apps keeping an important business process running, until the user that deployed it leaves the org and it just dies...
- JohnDeHope 3y ago
  I'd agree if Power Apps had a programming language backing it up. Say what you want about VBA, but it's at least a programming language. The databases and UIs were often just along for the ride, in my experience. The ability to run code was what made MS Access so useful to me. Power Apps just isn't there, yet, I don't think.
  - nullindividual 3y ago
    PowerApps can call external services, such as Azure Functions.
  - pjmlp 3y ago
    Power Apps are extensible via PowerFX, Canvas components, Web APIs and .NET SDK, or do you mean having some programing right there in the canvas designer?
- gonzo41 3y ago
  I was joking of course. There's just a bunch of business critical stuff where i work that runs through old access DB's and I'd love for MSFT to sunset it and force everyone to have to confront some old business processes with new eyes.

chem83 3y ago

I recommend jumping into Affinity Publisher (https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher https://affinity.serif.com/en-us/publisher) instead. All Affinity software, by the way, is great. Good x-platform support, resonable prices (and they go on sale often), powerful enough compared to Adobe suite and most importantly: no subscriptions.

npsomaratna 3y ago
I second this. Affinity has a fantastic suite of tools that is great value for money. Best benefit of all: being able to ditch the intrusive crap Adobe forces on you when you install their stuff.
gschizas 3y ago
Oh cool, I had already bought it (and forgot about it!). Unfortunately, it doesn't support opening MS Publisher documents directly. I'm a bit wary about converting my (very few) MS Publisher documents to PDF to import them. Is there any better solution?
jszymborski 3y ago
I love the Affinity products and their business model. Just wish they had a Linux version :(

Crosseye_Jack 3y ago

RIP Publisher, you were the source of countless paper airplanes throughout school. And while you may no longer be the DPS we use, you will be the one we remember (at least for this nerd).

commoner 3y ago

To anyone looking for an alternative, the best free and open source desktop publishing software is Scribus. The look and feel of Scribus is closer to that of professional applications like Adobe InDesign. Scribus is able to import Microsoft Publisher files, though I've never tried the feature. Unlike Publisher and most other desktop publishing applications, Scribus also works on Linux. https://www.scribus.net/ https://www.scribus.net/