All your files, or just some?
Select all, change the font.
What version Publisher?
PUB2000: Existing Text Vanishes or Becomes Distorted When You Change the Font
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/256190/en-us

Signature
Mary Sauer MSFT MVP
http://office.microsoft.com/
http://msauer.mvps.org/
news://msnews.microsoft.com
> MY WORK FILES HAVE BECOME ENCODED[MUMBO JUMBO TYPE STUFF]
> I WANT TO GET THEM BACK TO TEXT AS PER ORIGINALS, I HAVE TRIED ALL SORTS OF
> THINGS, BUT ALAS FAILURE SEEMS TO HAUNT ALL MY ATTEMPTS, ANY ADVICE WOULD BE
> GRATEFULLY ACCEPTED